Retired French General Phillipe Morillon was prevented on Friday by the women of Srebrenica from visiting the Memorial Centre at Potocari near Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the victims of the July 1995 genocide against Bosnian Muslims are buried.
Morillon was a commander of the UN's peace troops in Bosnia-Herzegovina (UNPROFOR).
He arrived in the country privately to pay his respects to the victims of the genocide and extend condolences to their families, but was prevented from entering the memorial complex by women from various associations of family members of killed and missing Srebrenica residents.
The women shouted at Morillon, accusing him of being responsible for the genocide, which saw Bosnian Serb troops, under Ratko Mladic's command, kill thousands of Muslim men and boys.
Morillon first came to Srebrenica in 1993 and declared the town a UN-protected zone.
Today he tried to justify himself, unsuccessfully, saying his authority had been very limited and that he had done his best.
He left Potocari visibly disappointed.
Hatidza Mehmedovic of the Mothers of Srebrenica association said Morillon's visit had been announced and that he had been told before that he was not welcome.
"This is the site of our pilgrimage and not a place where those responsible for the genocide should come. Morillon was one of those who could have stopped the genocide but didn't. We consider him responsible and that's why we treated him like this," she told press.
