Russia on Wednesday vetoed a United
Nations Security Council resolution describing the 1995
Srebrenica massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian
Serb troops as "genocide".
Four other members of the council abstained while the
remainder voted in favour.
The killing was the worst massacre in Europe since World
War Two.
The motion had angered Serbia, which rejects the term
'genocide'.
It had been drafted to mark the 20th anniversary of the
atrocity, which came amid the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia into
independent states.
During the Bosnian War, which saw Serbia-backed Bosnian
Serb forces fighting the Muslim-led Bosnian government,
thousands seeking shelter at what was supposed to be a UN refuge
were slaughtered.
The resolution said that "acceptance of the tragic events
at Srebrenica as genocide is a prerequisite for reconciliation".
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