The Dutch government announced its resignation today a week after a report on the 1995 fall of Srebrenica held political leaders partly responsible for failing to protect Muslims in a UN safe 'haven' in Bosnia.
The Dutch military was in charge of peacekeeping operations in the region when Serb forces attacked and slaughtered at least 7,500 men and boys in a week of bloodletting at the end of 1992–1995 Bosnia war.
Prime Minister Wim Kok called his 15–member cabinet to a special session to discuss the damaging report published by the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation last week.
"Will are going to visit the Queen. I will offer her the resignation of the ministers and junior ministers," Kok told reporters.
The report, which took nearly six years to research, harshly criticized the government for sending Dutch soldiers into a danger zone without a proper mandate or the weapons needed to defend around 30,000 refugees who had fled to the Dutch base seeking protection.
Since its release on Wednesday, Environment Minister Jan Pronk and Defence Minister Frank de Grave said they were considering stepping down, prompting media speculation of the collapse of the second Kok government.
The resignation comes less than a month before the Netherlands holds a general election.
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