Former Yugoslavia
The challenge to peace in the former Yugoslavia, especially in Bosnia, has presented not only a human tragedy, but also a barrier to the achievement of a stable and secure Europe. The US has worked to implement a just and durable peace agreement, minimize human suffering, and promote reconstruction of shattered communities. The US is assisting refugees, displaced persons, and returnees in their reintegration into their communities.
US priorities are to implement fully the Dayton Peace Agreement, establish national and Federation political and economic institutions under the civilian implementation aspects of the agreement, bring war criminals to justice, settle the status of Brcko, foster the peaceful reintegration of Eastern Slavonia into Croatia, promote democracy, and secure a political solution to the Kosovo issue. The US is reinforcing our compliance agreements (particularly with Republika Srpska), return of refugees, cooperation with the War Crimes Tribunal, democratization, and commerce between the Federation and Republika Srpska.
Before its dissolution, Yugoslavia was comprised of six republics -- Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Serbia (with two formerly autonomous provinces: Vojvodina and Kosovo), Montenegro and Macedonia. Conflict first broke out in June 1991, when the Yugoslav federal army attempted to reestablish control over the breakaway republics of Slovenia and Croatia. Intense fighting occurred in late 1991 between Croatian forces and irregular Serb forces, who were aided by the federal Yugoslav army. U.N. peacekeeping troops were deployed in Croatia but the underlying causes of the conflict remained unresolved.
In April 1992, Bosnia-Hercegovina declared its independence from Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serbs, with large-scale support from Serbia, seized over 70% of the republic's territory. The land grab was accompanied by brutal "ethnic cleansing" campaigns and enormous civilian casualties. International negotiation efforts failed to bring peace to Bosnia-Hercegovina.
In May 1995, Croatian forces successfully launched a limited offensive against Serb-held territory in one of the U.N. peacekeeping sectors, and followed with a massive offensive in August, re-taking most of Serb-held territory in Croatia.
On November 21, 1995, the presidents of Serbia-Montenegro, Croatia and BosniaHercegovina , as well as representatives of the Muslim-Croat federation and the Bosnian Serb republic, initialed a peace agreement for Bosnia-Hercegovina at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Following the Dayton agreement, the U.N. Security Council authorized NATO Implementation Force and Stabilization Force [IFOR] to implement the military aspects of the agreement. The North Atlantic Council approved Operation Joint Endeavor on 16 December 1995, activating the deployment of the main body of troops.
