Episode 302: Srebrenica and the Politics of Memory: Enduring Genocide Legacies in the Western Balkans with Aidan Hehir

In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Aidan Hehir discuss the legacy of the Srebrenica genocide, the politics of remembrance, and why, nearly thirty years later, the region continues to struggle with denial, revisionism, and rising ethnic tensions.

Find out more about how competing narratives have shaped post-war identities, the role of international courts in establishing the historical record, and the impact of recent political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Republika Srpska.

The conversation also addresses the fragility of peace in the Western Balkans, the limitations of international interventions, the erosion of democratic norms, and the dangers posed by nationalist rhetoric and historical distortion.

Finally, they explore what meaningful remembrance should look like, how civil society can counter denial, and whether the international community is equipped or willing to prevent future atrocities in the region.

Aidan Hehir is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Westminster, where he has taught since 2007 after positions at the University of Sheffield and the University of Limerick, where he also earned his PhD in 2005. He is Course Leader for the postgraduate programmes in International Relations, International Relations and Security, and International Relations and Democratic Politics, and teaches modules on humanitarian intervention and international security. His research focuses on transitional justice, humanitarian intervention, and statebuilding in Kosovo. He is the author or editor of twelve books, including Kosovo and the Internationals: Hope, Hubris and the End of History (2024) and Hollow Norms and the Responsibility to Protect (2019) - winner of the British International Studies Association’s prize for best book on intervention and R2P.  His publications include over fifty book chapters and journal articles in leading outlets such as Ethics and International Affairs, and Cooperation and Conflict. He is co-editor of the Routledge Intervention and Statebuilding series, a founding co-convenor of the BISA Working Group on the Responsibility to Protect, and has delivered more than a hundred conference papers worldwide. 

The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.

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Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disrupt

Chapters

• 0:00 Podcast intro
• 2:00 Origins: Serbian nationalism after Tito
• 3:40 Breakup dynamics: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia
• 5:00 Ethnic cleansing strategy in Bosnia - Srebrenica’s UN “safe area” failure and massacre
• 7:30 Memory, denial and contemporary parallels: how states tell stories & the Kosovo myth
• 10:12 Warnings ignored: historical parallels to Russia/Georgia/Crimea
• 11:50 Vucic’s political evolution and troubling roots
• 12:50 Missed window (2012 → present) and rising militancy
• 14:35 How collective memory shapes communities’ views
• 16:00 The fate of the missing and the unresolved wounds
• 18:00 Broken promises: EU accession hopes and subsequent disillusion
• 19:30 Populists exploiting stagnation and historical grievances- Memorials, denial and the geography of Srebrenica memory
• 22:00 Segregation persists: enclaves, Mitrovica and failed integration
• 24:00 Early intervention triggers and community engagement as tools for undermining nationalist groups
• 26:00 Sanctions & leverage: the EU/NATO dilemma
• 27:30 Case study: Banska attack, the response gap, and perverse outcomes
• 28:45 Responsibility to Protect (R2P): origins and structural limits: the UN Security Council & selectivity
• 34:25 Top risk: Kosovo today and the long-game strategy