In March 1993, despite the passivity of the great powers,the inhabitants of Srebrenica and the Bosnians who had found refuge there were snatched from claws of the Serbs who besieged the city by the heroic action of a French military man,General Morrilon. The press dubbed him 'General Courage'.

In July 1995 ,the population of Srebrencia was delivered to it executioners,with the tacit approval of the great powers, by another French military man-the commander of UNPROFOR General Bernard Janvier .After watching 'Envoye Special' last Thursday one can clearly discern the role that General Janvier played in this tragedy. Since this show has aired, the press has remained silent about the General's scandalous role in the fall of Srebrenica.

The consequences of Janvier's betrayal of the population Srebrenica are commen knowledge. Between three and ten thousand Muslims were slaughtered by General Mladic,and an SS mob led by Arkan,a Member of the Serbian Parliament in Belgrade. During an interview that he gave during "Envoye Special' Mr Mediluce, a Spanish member of the European Parliament who previously served as a UN civil servant ,clearly stated that General Janvier was as responsible for the slaughter at Srebrenica as the Serbs were.

It seems to me that the revelations about Janvier's role in the fall of Srebrenica deserve as much coverage in the anti-racist press as the the fact that Maurice Papon has finally been brought to trial for the crimes against humanity he committed during the Second World War (it is about time he faced justice) or the latest racist tirades of Jean-Marie Le Pen.

'Envoye Special' outlines two important facts that underline General Janvier''s partial responsibility ( and perhaps that of the French Government and President Mitterand ) for the massacres at Srebrenica. Firstly, in secret negotiations with General Mladic and General Perisic, Commander in Chief of the Serbian Army, to obtain the freedom of France's blue helmets(held hostage at the time by the Serbs) General Janvier promised not to order air strikes if Srebrenica were attacked. In exchange, the Serbs agreed to free the members of UNPRFOR that they held hostage. In other words, our general gave the Serbs 'carte blanche' to attack Srebrenica. Mr Akashi ,the UN special envoy admitted to' Envoye Special' that he knew of the meeting between Janvier and the two Serb generals but stated that he was not aware of any deal that was made there!

The second event that proves Janvier's complicity with genocide occurred when Srebrenica was attacked on July 11 . General Janvier refused three requests by the Dutchbat in Srebrenica to bomb the positions of the advancing Serbs.Air strikes at this point would have stopped the Serbs in their tracks.NATO bombers were already in the air and NATO was ready to strike when Janvier took his decision. While ignoring the UN's promise to protect the population of Srebrenica,Janvier kept his promises to the Serbs.

During this period Mr Akashi constantly underestimated the danger of massacres in Srebrenica. This error did not cost him his job. He didn't resign. He wasn't forced to resign. He was promoted.

It is possible to maintain that in giving absolute priority to gaining the freedom of the French blue helmets and even to saving their lives , General Janvier was only responding to pressure from the French government. This may very well be so; but we must then ask ourselves what the blue helmets ,whose very presence made action against the aggressor impossible ,were doing in Bosnia in the first place.

The UN lied to the population of Srebernica . Following a request by Alain Juppe (now the Prime Minister of France) then foreign minister in the Balladur Government, it promised the civilians of Srebrenica and the other "safe areas" that it would protect them. After disarming them,it handed them over to their executioners.

The UN has not found it useful to set up a commission of inquiry to examine its complicity in the crimes against humanity that were committed at Srebrenica .The French parliament doesn't find it useful to investigate General Janvier's role in breaking General Morrilon's promise to the people of Srebrenica.There was a time when the French Army cared about its honor. That is no longer the case today.

Where does this passivity in the face of genocide leave the rest of us? I call upon those French politicians who stood up for our principles during the Bosnian crisis, Valery Giscard D'Estang, Michel Rocard,Laurent Fabius, Bernard Stasi to speak up.A commission of inquiry into our responsibility for the tragedy at Srebernica is necessary.I hope that our country's reputation will remain intact after the commission finishes its work. The time has come for those of our countrymen who fight day after day to combat racism to take a stand. We must not to forget the hate crimes that our indifference made possible.

Jacques Julliard

Translation: Stephen Albert