Historical Background
After the disintegration of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence on March 3, 1992. The country, with a population comprising Bosniak Muslims (44%), Serbs (31%), and Croats (17%), became a battleground for ethnic conflicts. Supported by the Yugoslav army, Bosnian Serbs launched military operations to seize strategic areas and conduct ethnic cleansing.
Ethnic Cleansing Campaigns
Throughout the war, Bosnian Serb forces conducted systematic ethnic cleansing against Bosniaks and Croats. This included mass killings, rapes, torture, and forced displacements. It is estimated that around 100,000 people were killed, and over 2 million were displaced.
Srebrenica Massacre
In July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces, under the command of General Ratko Mladić, entered the UN-protected enclave of Srebrenica. Over the course of several days, more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed, and over 20,000 civilians were forcibly displaced. The massacre is considered the largest genocide in Europe since the Holocaust.
International Response and Trials
In response to these atrocities, the UN Security Council established the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 1993. Leaders such as Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić were convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity.
Dayton Agreement
The war concluded in December 1995 with the signing of the Dayton Agreement, which restructured Bosnia and Herzegovina into two main entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska.
Mass Graves and DNA Identification
International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP): Played a crucial role in identifying genocide victims through DNA profiling. Over 7,000 victims of the Srebrenica massacre were identified through DNA testing.
Mass Graves: After the Srebrenica massacre, Serb forces attempted to conceal the crimes by relocating bodies to secondary and tertiary graves. This complicated the identification process, but modern DNA technology enabled the successful recovery and identification of remains.
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Established in 1993 by the UN Security Council.
Prosecuted war criminals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Key convictions: Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladić.
Sources for Further Reading:
- ICMP – DNA Identification in Bosnia
- ICTY – Official Website
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Britannica – Srebrenica Genocide
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