War of Bosnia

The war in Bosnia is an international war having implied multiple actors as well local as resulting from sovereign states. It began when the Yugoslav armed , under command of the Serbia starting from April 6th, 1992 tackled the state independent of Bosnia. Thereafter, the war lasted until September 14th 1995.

Preludes

See also: History of Yugoslavia, War in Croatia (1991-1995)

The war in Bosnia is a consequence of the dislocation of the Yugoslavia, itself related to the fall of the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989. The rebirth of the nationalist ideas in Yugoslavia weakened the central role of the Communist party. The come to powers of Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia in 1987, and of Franjo Tudjman in Croatia in 1990, accentuate the crisis. In June 1991, the Slovenia declares her independence, and the Croatia makes some in the same way. After a rapid conflict as Slovenia, the JNA under the Serb command, supported by the Serb para-militia, and the Serb ones of Krajina in Croatia, attack Croatia. The symbol of the beginning of this war is certainly the tragedy of Vukovar.

Bosnia not wanting to take part in this war against Croatia, decides to declare its sovereignty in October 1991. But the commission of Badinter specified that she does not recognize the independence of Bosnia, that if a referendum were organized for this purpose in Bosnia.

A referendum of self-determination is then organized on February 29th 1992. It is boycotted by the majority of Serb which constitutes 32% of the population. The Croats and the Moslems vote, namely 68% of the population. The result of the referendum is of 99% of the voices in favor of independent Bosnia. This one consequently is proclaimed by the Parliament bosnien on April 5th, 1992.

As it was envisaged by the commission of Badinter, following this referendum, the European Community recognizes Bosnia as an independent state, on April 6th, 1992. This recognition is followed of that of the United States. Bosnia thus adheres on May 22nd, 1992 to the United Nations, with Croatia and Slovenia.

The Serb Republic of Bosnia, the entity of Serb directed by Radovan Karadzic, declares in its turn, but without any constitutional procedure, its independence. This republic will never be recognized as such by the international community. If, following the agreements of Dayton, there exists in the facts a Serb republic of Bosnia, no legal entity was recognized with the latter.

Attempts at peace

The March 18th 1992, the Portuguese diplomat Jose Cutilheiro proposes a project of cantonisation of the Bosnia-Herzégovine (on the model helvète of the cantons). The Croatian and Serb leaders of Bosnia-Herzégovine accept, contrary to Alija Izetbegović which refuses and prefers a central capacity, that it could possibly occupy. It is also the position of the European Union.

The April 27th 1992, the Serbia and the Montenegro, i.e. the two only republics not-secessionists, form the Federal republic of Yugoslavia, but this one is not recognized like successor and core remaining of old Yugoslavia (as it was the case for Russia during the implosion of CEI), under the terms of the conclusions of the Badinter commission.

UNO tries to pacify the situation in vain by dispatching Blue helmets. Bosnia-Herzégovine knows three years and half of a terrible war of aggression and extermination of the Bosnian, Croatian and Serb populations. The rejection of Radovan Karadžić of the peace plan proposed by David Owen and Cyrus Vance, accepted by the other parts, marks the dissociation of Slobodan Milošević with respect to Serb nationalism in Bosnia-Herzégovine.

Military operations

Organization

Ex-Yugoslavia, and especially Bosnia-Herzégovine, then knew several years of war, marked by episodes particularly violent one: war crimes, massacres, Rape S, creation of concentration camps, forced displacements of populations, whether that is with dimensions Croatian, Serb or Bosnian. These war crimes took a racist turning, according to the ethnic principle of Purification. However, displacements of populations were often more an strategic issue. Indeed these disorganized in particular the opposing side while forcing to him to deal with additional civil populations and founded a climate of terror. In many cases, that was sufficient to make flee Bosnian populations before the arrival of Serb troops.

The leaders also called upon groups Paramilitaire S and groups of the organized crime, like Serb the Arkan with its Tigers, or of other groups like the Scorpions. The acts of violence are not the only fact of the armies, but often of individual acts since that many Yugoslavians had a weapon and an old uniform on their premises. Many peasants sought to protect or to be made justice themselves. To also note, a phenomenon non-négligable of desertion on behalf of the young people. Thus for example, 200.000 Serbes young people avoided the military service and the war. The media and the world public opinion mainly recognized the massacres perpetrated by Serb, by sometimes forgetting those, certainly fewer, organized by the Croats and Moslems, generally in reaction to those made initially by the Serb ones.

Unfolding

In 1992, Alija Izetbegović refuses to make Sarajevo a " ouverte" city; and demilitarized. The Serb ones of Bosnia, which took for capital Pale, near Sarajevo, thus undertake a length and violent one the seat of the city, longest that Europe knew. The first bombardments of the Serb forces strike the city on April 6th, 1992, the shortly after the declaration of independence. Sarajevo is subjected to a complete blockade. The convoys of food and drugs are blocked on the cut roads, water and electricity. The Siège of Sarajevo becomes a war of attrition.

See also: Head office of Sarajevo

The army of Serb of Bosnia is ordered by Ratko Mladic and mainly formed by the bosno-Serb units of the Yugoslav federal Army (JNA). It seizes gradually the main cities (apart from Sarajevo) and the zones populated by the Serb ones at the beginning of the war and practical a method known as of ethnic purification against the Bosnian population.

The efforts of the international community to put an end to the conflict and to protect the civil populations were without results, sometimes even laxists towards the Serb ones until 1995, in spite of the sending of more than 38.000 soldiers to the colors of UNO. 167 men of the Forpronu were killed and more than 700 of them were wounded, of which approximately the half belonged to the French Army.

In March 1994, an agreement is signed between the Croatian and Moslem leaders of Bosnia, under the pressure of the international community, especially that of the United States towards Croatian president Tudjman. Opposed since nearly one year of April 1992 (in particular at the time of the combat during which was destroyed the Othoman bridge of XVe century of Mostar) in May 1993, the two communities consequently form a common front against the Serb ones of Bosnia.

The international standpoint

Bosnia-Herzégovine draws the attention of the Western countries. Certain intellectuals (like Bernard-Henri Levy) and politicians present Bosnia-Hérzegovine like a success of the Multiculturalisme, and a successful example of integration of a Muslim population in Europe. In their eyes, to support the Bosnia-Herzégovine, it is above all to support the Moslems - Not the " musulmans" , faithful of the Islam, but " Musulmans" (or Bosnians), nationality created by Tito in 1971 to balance the populations in Bosnia-Herzégovine. The Moslems become in these times of war a nationality to protect.

There are however nuances to bring to this description. Bosnia-Herzégovine is divided in distinct communities, in spite of the big number of mixed marriages (5,5% of the population declaring " Yougoslave" according to a census of 1991, the highest rate in Yugoslavia). Alija Izetbegović, leader of the Bosnians and author of the islamist declaration , does not correspond to the image of tolerance which Bosnia-Herzégovine would incarnate. During the war, it called upon fundamentalist Moslems, in particular of the Moudjahiddin, foreign combatants of which the goal is to create an islamist State and to counter the forms of nationalism Serbes and Croatian. What does not prevent Bernard-Henri Levy from receiving it with Paris and to be named with Bernard Kouchner doctor Honoris causa of the university of Sarajevo.

The outcome

See also: Massacre of Srebrenica

From July 13rd to 16th 1995, the army of Serb of Bosnia, ordered by Ratko Mladic, seizes Srebrenica, a Bosnian enclave encircled since the beginning of the conflict where thousands of refugees took refuge. Until this Serb offensive, Srebrenica was under the protection of the Blue helmets. The Serb forces make a massacre, eliminating all the captured men (more than 8000 dead).

In front of the inefficiency of the Blue helmets, the forces of Atlantic Alliance (NATO) then intervened in 1995 directly against the Serb militia of Bosnia. In August of this same year, Croatia reconquers the Krajina at the time of a 3 day old operation-flash. In same time, the Bosnian and Croatian forces drive back the Serb ones with the defensive and take again the control of important territories. The Agreements of Dayton signed on December 21st, 1995 by Izetbegovic (Bosnian), Tudjman (Croatian) and Milosevic (Serb), put an end to the war. The Bosnia-Herzégovine becomes a confederation of two States, the Fédération croato-Bosnian (51% of the territory, 70% of the population) and the Serb République of Bosnia (49% of the territory, 25% of the population).

TPIY created during the war still continues to track, initially Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, to judge and condemn war criminals. However, the TPIY announced its closing in 2008.

Assessments

At the end of the war, the majority of the estimates as for the number of victims oscillated between 200.000 and 260.000 dead. These figures for summer have re-examined with the fall.

According to the Information center and of search for Sarajevo, in March 2006, the conflict in Bosnia-Herzégovine cost the life 96.175 people (including 38.645 civilians), being distributed as follows:

  • Bosnian: 63.994 (including 32.723 civilians)
  • Serb of Bosnia: 24.206 (including 3.555 civilians)
  • Croatian: 7.338 (including 1.899 civilians)
In January 2007, the Center re-examined its figures slightly with the rise, and announces the figure of 97.901 killed.

According to the International penal court for ex-Yugoslavia, the war because death of 102.622 people, including 55.261 civilians, being distributed as follows:

  • Bosnian and Croatian: 72.000 (including 38.000 civilians and 6.000 Croatian soldiers)
  • Serb of Bosnia: 30.700 (including 16.700 civilians)

Device of the forces of peace after 1995

  • Under command of NATO

IFOR: operation “Endeavor Joint” of December 1995 in December 1996 (60.000 men).

SFOR: operations “Joint Guard” and “Joined Forging mill” until December 2004 (from 32.000 to 7.000 men).

  • Under command of the European Union

EUFOR: operation “Althea” until December 2005 (7.000 men).

33 Nations take part in the Althea operation, including 11 nations except European Union. France is the 5th country contributor, with 460 men.

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