Our new geoblog, a partnership with Google Earth, documents and maps genocide and related crimes against humanity.
-
This guest post was written by Enough Project staffer Ledio Cakaj. Read more posts about Sudan at Enough’s blog, Enough Said. “Tell them about our suffering here,” said the Bishop… More»
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Overview: Bosnia
In 1991, Yugoslavia's republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Bosnia) had a population of 4 million, composed of three main ethnic groups: Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim, 44%), Serb (31%), and Croat (17%), as well as Yugoslav (8%).
On April 5, 1992, the government of Bosnia declared its independence from Yugoslavia. Immediately, Bosnian Serb leaders launched a war to create a separate state. They targeted Bosniak and Croatian civilians in areas under their control, in what has become known as "ethnic cleansing."
During the conflict (1992-95), an estimated 100,000 people were killed; 80% of the civilians killed were Bosniaks. In July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces killed as many as 8,000 Bosniaks from Srebrenica. It was the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust.
Current Situation
Diplomats Search for Political Progress
Talks convened today in Bosnia, bringing the U.S., EU, and Bosnian politicians together to discuss ways of breaking the political deadlock that continues to trouble the country. Fourteen years after the brutal conflict that brought its independence, Bosnia faces deep political divisions internally between Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation, the nation’s two governing entities that were established by the 1995 Dayton peace accords. Ratcheting up the ethnocentric rhetoric, Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik has repeatedly threatened to call for a referendum on succession.
Although the talks are not expected to make significant progress, the hope is that they will improve the nation’s chances for eventual EU and NATO membership. With Croatia and Macedonia already candidate countries to the EU and applications from Albania and Montenegro under consideration, international leaders hope to ensure that Bosnia is not left behind as the rest of the region achieves integration.
Bosnia remains under international protectorate, despite long-standing plans to close the Office of the High Representative, which retains power over political decisions in the country. Expected to meet in mid-November to discuss the end of this protectorate status, the international community will be considering Bosnia’s success at implementing constitutional reform. Currently, the Bosnian government includes three presidents, 13 prime ministers, and 180 ministers.
Anniversary of the Genocide at Srebrenica
July 11 marks the anniversary of the start of the 1995 genocide at Srebrenica. On this day, newly identified remains are reburied at the Srebrenica Potocari Memorial and Cemetary.
Faced with the seemingly impossible task to locate, recover, and identify so many missing people, the International Commission of Missing Persons (ICMP) has made steady progress, helping to identify 12,518 individuals in Bosnia, roughly half of whom are Srebrenica victims. Just this past May, forensic experts investigated a newly-discovered mass grave in Bosnia where they found 12 Srebrenica victims. About 70 mass graves around Srebrenica have been found since the war.
High Unemployment and Unresolved Political Issues
Since the Bosnian war ended in November 1995 with the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia has been under international protectorate. The Office of the High Representative, an ad hoc international institution responsible for overseeing implementation of civilian aspects of the Dayton accord, has significant authority over the decisions made by Bosnian politicians. Additionally, NATO and then EU-led international forces were deployed as peacekeepers; elections were overseen by the Organizations for Security and Cooperation in Europe; and millions of international aid has gone to rebuilding and reforming the state.
This is about to change. The mandate and office of the High Representative is scheduled to close on June 30, 2009, at which point a special European representative will be the main international presence. Many core political issues remain unresolved. The final status of the Brcko District, a city in northern Bosnia that has a special status in neither the Serb Republic nor the Bosnian Federation, is unsettled. Nationalist political parties remain strong. Talk of changing the constitution established at Dayton to build a stronger federal state, as envisioned by leading Bosniak politicians, has alienated Serbian politicians who want to maintain powers as separate entities.
Life for ordinary civilians has improved in terms of stability and security, but the economic situation is extremely difficult. It is estimated that the unemployment rate is 45%.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is currently conducting several high-level trials regarding crimes committed at Srebrenica, in Kosovo, and during the Croatian “Operation Storm,” among other cases. The case against leading Bosnian Serb politician, Radovan Karadzic, charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, is in the pre-trial stage. Remaining at large is General Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military leader. The Tribunal is scheduled to finish first-instance trials by 2010 and close its Appeals Court by 2011.
