Conflict

Conflict case studies - Europe

Bosnia

The dissolution of the Soviet Union served as the catalyst for the break up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Following a referendum Bosnia declared independence in April 1992, marking the start of the bloody 1992-1995 war.

This article presents a case study of Bosnia to critique the role of international peacekeeping missions.

Chandler, D. 1999, 'The Limits of Peacebuilding: International Regulation and Civil Society Development in Bosnia,' International Peacekeeping, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 109-125
This article from 'International Peacekeeping' argues against the external intervention of international peacekeeping missions. It looks at the case of Bosnia to investigate how top-down international regulation and bottom-up civil society building may have conflicting, rather than complementary, impacts. It argues that long-term interventions can obstruct a self-governing democracy, instead institutionalising divisions and providing unaccountable solutions.
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The following paper highlights the role that criminalised economies played in the outbreak, persistence, termination and aftermath of the war.

Andreas, P., 2004, 'The Clandestine Political Economy of War and Peace in Bosnia', International Studies Quarterly, 48(1), pp. 29-55
 How are conflicts affected by criminal elements? Most contemporary intrastate military conflicts have a criminalised dimension, using smuggling networks and criminal actors. A clandestine political economy approach aids the study of war and post-war reconstruction. This International Studies Quarterly article argues that in the 1992-1995 Bosnia conflict a critical role was played by smuggling practices and quasi-private criminal combatants. These influenced the conflict’s outbreak, persistence, termination and aftermath. The ambiguous double-edged character of criminalised aspects of conflict needs recognition and further study.
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Written nearly 10 years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement this report provides an overview of major issues and recent developments in transitional justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Freeman, M., 2004, 'Bosnia and Herzegovina: Selected Developments in Transitional Justice', Case Study Report, International Centre for Transitional Justice
What progress in transitional justice has taken place in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the Dayton Agreement? This report from the International Center for Transitional Justice provides an overview of some of the major issues and developments. It examines the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, local trials, the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Srebrenica Commission. It also reports on a draft Law on Missing Persons, reparations, and the vetting of police, judges and prosecutors.
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