Yugoslavia

Civil War in the Former Yugoslavia

• After the Cold War ended Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Bosnia broke away from Yugoslavia (often known as Serbia) and became independent countries.

• Conflict quickly broke out in this part of Europe which is known as the Balkans.

ACTION IN BOSNIA•UN peacekeepers were sent into areas where peace had been negotiated but found it difficult to protect civilians.

•The UN tried to negotiate a ceasefire, provide aid and put sanctions on Serbia to stop them sending weapons to Bosnia.

•The UN introduced a no fly zone over Bosnia to stop Serbia sending aircraft bombing missions to Bosnia.

How Did NATO Get Involved?

• The UN asked NATO to help them make sure that Serbia obeyed the no-fly zone.

NATO shot down Serbia aircraft and threatened to use air strikes if safe havens were attacked.

In 1995 NATO embarked on its first ever military operation by launching a campaign of air strikes against Bosnian Serbs to force them to negotiate peace.

•In 1995 the civil war came to an end.

•NATO deployed thousands of troops – the Implementation Force (Ifor) – to monitor and enforce a ceasefire in Bosnia – they acted as the ‘muscle’ of the UN.

NATO

Kosovo• Kosovo is a small region of

Yugoslavia. • Fighting broke out because many

people in Kosovo wanted to be independent. The didn’t want to be ruled by the Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic.

• There was evidence that the Serb forces were killing many innocent people in Kosovo.

• The UN imposed economic sanctions.

• In 1999 NATO launched airstrikes to stop ‘ethnic cleansing’. The Serbs agreed to pull out.

The Yugoslav president was Slobodan Milošević.

He encouraged Serb nationalism and was accused of forcibly removing non-Serbs in order to create a “greater Serbia” across Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia.

This led to what is known as ETHNIC CLEANSING.

The ethnic cleansing campaign that took place throughout areas controlled by the Bosnian Serb Army targeted Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats.

The ethnic cleansing campaign included unlawful confinement, murder, rape, sexual assault, torture, beating, robbery and inhumane treatment of civilians; the targeting of political leaders, intellectuals and professionals; the unlawful deportation and transfer of civilians; the unlawful shelling of civilians; the unlawful appropriation and plunder of real and personal property; the destruction of homes and businesses; and the destruction of places of worship.[

Kosovo• NATO sent in forces to ensure

that peace was maintained in Kosovo. They are still there.

• They found evidence of mass graves.

• Slobodan Milosevic and other leaders were put on trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague (the Netherlands).

• Milosevic died in 2006 while his trial was still taking place.

The Balkan wars• After the Cold War ended Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Bosnia broke away from Yugoslavia and became independent countries.

• Conflict quickly broke out in this part of Europe which is known as the Balkans.

• The UN tried to establish peace through negotiation and sanctions.

• When this failed NATO was asked to intervene in its first ever military campaign.

• NATO used its military power to stop the conflicts and then used its troops to maintain peace.

• The main aim was to bring stability to the region, stop the ethnic cleansing and help rebuild these countries.