Ban Ki-moon calls on int'l community to act now to stop slaughter in Syria

Giving a speech in Bosnia and Herzegovina's parliament on Wednesday evening, the United Nations' Secretary-General Ban K-moon urged the international community to help put en end to the bloodshed in Syria, international news agencies have reported.

The UN chief said that in the eastern Bosnian enclave of Srebrenica "the United Nations did not live up to its responsibility. The international community failed in preventing the genocide that unfolded. Too many men and boys died in Srebrenica - needlessly, savagely," Reuters reported.

"That is why, here in the heart of a healing Bosnia and Herzegovina, I make a plea to the world: do not delay. Come together. Act. Act now to stop the slaughter in Syria," Ban was quoted as saying.

The visiting UN chief is due to travel to Srebrenica on Thursday to pay tribute to victims of war atrocities committed by the Serb forces in July 1995 when they overran Srebrenica, which was a UN safe haven at the time, (Hina)