Bosnia Humanitarian Intervention

Presented By: Doyle Thibert, Sharon Aiger and Mary Winter

Humanitarian Intervention Defined

The threat of use of force across state borders by a state (or group of states) to prevent or end widespread and grave violations of the fundamental human rights of individuals other than its own citizens, without the permission of the state within whose territory force is applied.

Humanitarian Intervention

Bosnia

Capital:Sarajevo Area:51,129 sq km / 19,745 sq ml Language:Croatian, Serbian, BosnianCurrency:DinarPopulation:3,989,018Life expectancy:69 (men), 75 (women)Literacy rate:86%Religions:Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, and Protestant 4%Physical features:Mountainous, part of Dinaric Alps, limestone gorges, 20km / 12ml of coastline with no harborEthnic distribution:48% ethnic Muslim, 37% Serb, 14% Croat, 6% Yugoslav Exports:Steel, coal, iron ore, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products

Key Players In The Conflict

Serbs:

Croats

Muslims

The Conflict Issues

Yugoslavia broke up because of various ethnic groups seeking independence

Religion played big part in the break up

Bosnia was multi-ethnic populated

The Conflict Issues

Different ethnic groups side by side

Croats – Catholic

Serbs – Orthodox

Muslims

The Conflict Issues

In 1992 Bosnia passed a referendum for independence

Eastern Orthodox Serbs did not want to live in a republic where people of different faiths and ethnic groups lived together

Serbs in Bosnia rebelled

Conflict IssuesBosnian Muslims were outgunned

There were mass shootings, forced repopulation of entire towns

Men and boys were confined to concentration camps

Women and girls were raped

Intervention DecisionsDespite media reports of secret camps, mass killings & destruction the world remained indifferent

The U.S. imposed economic sanctions on Serbia

Deployed troops to protect food and medicine distribution

Intervention DecisionsUN strictly prohibited its troops from interfering militarily against the Serbs

Throughout 1993 the Serbs continued to commit genocide against Muslims

Intervention DecisionsBush administration did not want to become militarily involved because we had just fought the Gulf War

Bush thought the conflict should be resolved by powers in Europe

Intervention DecisionsFrom lessons learned in Vietnam Bush did not want to risk sending US forces in and then get bogged down and uncommitted to victory

Bush had made his decision based on proportionality cost of the Vietnam War

Historical Background - 1945

After World War II, Yugoslavia, previously a monarchy becomes a communist republic under Prime Minister Tito

It was composed of six republics: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro, 

And Two provinces: Kosovo and Vojvodina

Historical Background - 1945

Seven neighboring countries, and problems with all of themSix republics with problems between them  Ethnic groups are predominately:

Bosnians - MuslimSerbs - Orthodox ChristiansCroats – Catholic Christians

Historical Background - 1980

Prime Minister Tito’s rein in Yugoslavia keeps ethnic tensions in check until his death Without his influence, ethnic and nationalist differences begin to flare  

Historical Background - 1991

Slovenia and Croatia each declare independence Slovenia is able to break away with only a brief period of fightingBecause 12% of Croatia's population is Serbian, however, Yugoslavia fights hard against its secession for the next four yearsAs Croatia moves towards independence, it evicts most of its Serbian population

 

Historical Background - 1992

Bosnia & Bosnia & Herzegovina declares independenceSerbia & Montenegro form Federal Republic of Yugoslavia led by Slobodan MilosevicNew government is not recognized by the United States

 

Historical Background - 1992

Ethnic tensions strain to the breaking point & Bosnia erupts into warBosnian Serb nationalists begin ethnic cleansing to create a "racially pure" Serb republicThousands die and millions are displaced

 

Historical Background - 1995Peace is achieved momentarilyBosnia, Serbia, and Croatia sign the Dayton Peace Accord to end the war in BosniaThe country is partitioned into three areasEach enclave is now made up of roughly 90% of its own ethnic group

 

Intervention - 1992

NATO issues statement urging allowance of United Nations PeacekeepersPrimarily symbolic, this statement paved the way for later NATO actionsNATO assists United Nations in monitoring compliance

 

Intervention - 1995

On August 30, 1995, NATO officially launched Operation Deliberate Force with large-scale bombing of Serb targets. The bombing lasted until September 20, 1995 and involved attacks on 338 individual targets

 

Intervention - 1995Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia sign the Dayton Peace Accord to end the war in BosniaNATO agreed to provide 60,000 peacekeepers for the regionStabilization Force peacekeepers remained in Bosnia until 2004

 

Romeo & Juliet in Sarajevo -

At the funeral service, Zijah Ismic gave a sermon for his daughter and her lover. "Their death was a message," he said.

"Their death was a message that hatred destroys all who know it. War does not involve survivors and victims, winners and losers. It involves only victims."