Kenyan officer testifies in Srebrenica trial

Kenyan Colonel Joseph Kingori testified at the Hague trial of seven former Bosnian Serb officials. The defense teams in the trial, dubbed the Srebrenica Seven, continued with their efforts to show the partiality and bias of Kingori, former UN military observer in Srebrenica. Kenyan officer testifies in Srebrenica trial Kingori witnessed the fall of the enclave in July 1995 and the deportation of civilians following the arrival of Ratko Mladic’s forces. According to the defense, "even if the UN military observer mission was impartial," it "had to be at least incompetent" for the task it was set to undertake, because it "failed to report a single incident in which the Bosnian Muslim Army shelled the population of Srebrenica in 1995." The defense teams for Radivoje Miletic and Milan Gvero put it to the witness that the UN military observers also failed to report on the abuse of humanitarian aid. According to them, food that came in as aid was sold at the Srebrenica market; some of it was confiscated by the Bosnian Muslim Army. Kingori replied that the UNHCR had been notified about that, adding that "some of the humanitarian aid was allotted to the military too." The defense contends that the biased of the military observers was evident in the fact that they did not report incidents with Serb civilian casualties. The Kenyan colonel dismissed this claim categorically, stressing that he was a neutral observer. The witness added he had no reason and no special interest to favor either side. "My country, Kenya, had no special interest in Srebrenica that I would have defended there," Kingori said. In his words, "even General Mladic gave credit to the UN military observers for being impartial and fair towards his people." Military analyst Richard Butler will begin his testimony Monday as the Srebrenica Seven trial continues at the Hague Tribunal.

Kenyan officer testifies in Srebrenica trial

Kingori witnessed the fall of the enclave in July 1995 and the deportation of civilians following the arrival of Ratko Mladić’s forces.

According to the defense, "even if the UN military observer mission was impartial," it "had to be at least incompetent" for the task it was set to undertake, because it "failed to report a single incident in which the Bosnian Muslim Army shelled the population of Srebrenica in 1995."

The defense teams for Radivoje Miletić and Milan Gvero put it to the witness that the UN military observers also failed to report on the abuse of humanitarian aid.

According to them, food that came in as aid was sold at the Srebrenica market; some of it was confiscated by the Bosnian Muslim Army.

Kingori replied that the UNHCR had been notified about that, adding that "some of the humanitarian aid was allotted to the military too."

The defense contends that the biased of the military observers was evident in the fact that they did not report incidents with Serb civilian casualties.

The Kenyan colonel dismissed this claim categorically, stressing that he was a neutral observer. The witness added he had no reason and no special interest to favor either side.

"My country, Kenya, had no special interest in Srebrenica that I would have defended there," Kingori said.

In his words, "even General Mladić gave credit to the UN military observers for being impartial and fair towards his people."

Military analyst Richard Butler will begin his testimony Monday as the Srebrenica Seven trial continues at the Hague Tribunal.