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Former Yugoslavia - Bosnia-Herzegovina

The challenge to peace in the former Yugoslavia, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, presented not only a human tragedy, but also a barrier to the achievement of a stable and secure Europe. The US worked to implement a just and durable peace agreement, minimize human suffering, and promote reconstruction of shattered communities. The US assisted refugees, displaced persons, and returnees in their reintegration into their communities.

US priorities were 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 also reinforced its 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 6 republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Serbia (with 2 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. UN peacekeeping troops, part of the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) 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 percent 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 UN peacekeeping sectors, and followed with a massive offensive in August, re-taking most of Serb-held territory in Croatia.

On 21 November 1995, the presidents of Serbia-Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as representatives of the Muslim-Croat federation and the Bosnian Serb republic, initiated a peace agreement for Bosnia-Hercegovina at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Following the Dayton agreement, the UN Security Council authorized the formation of a NATO-led Implementation Force and Stabilization Force (IFOR) to implement the military aspects of the agreement. NATO approved this and what became known as Operation Joint Endeavor began on 16 December 1995, activating the deployment of the main body of troops. On 20 December 1996, the mission transitioned from implementation to stabilization. At that time, Operation Joint Endeavor ended and Operation Joint Guard began. IFOR similarly transitioned to the NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). On 20 June 1998, SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina transitioned to a slightly smaller follow-on force. Simultaneously, Operation Joint Guard ended and Operation Joint Forge began. Also in 1998, in response to the growing crisis in what was then the Serbian province of Kosovo, efforts began there to stop the bloodshed, with the theater become a separate focal point for international forces in the region. Eventually, a NATO-led forces was deployed to Kosovo in 1999 as part of a UN-mandated peacekeeping mission.

In March 2002, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) recommended reductions in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), including withdrawal of heavy armored units, leading to reduction of between 5,000 and 10,000 troops from the 43,000-strong force. At the same time, SACEUR also proposed a continued reduction of troop numbers in the SFOR in Bosnia, along with reductions in air surveillance and naval support for NATO operations in the Balkans. On 2 December 2003, SFOR confirmed that due to the improved security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina that it would reduce to a deterrent force of approximately 7,000 multinational soldiers by June 2004. At the Istanbul Summit in June 2004, NATO Heads of State and Government agreed that in light of the improved security situation in the country SFOR could be concluded at the end of that year. On 2 December 2004, the SFOR mission ended and Operation Joint Forge came to a close.