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Never an easy fit as a predominantly Muslem country in the
Yugoslav Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991, was
followed by a referendum for independence from the former Yugoslavia in
February 1992. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia -
responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along
ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "greater
Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of
warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint
Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This all came to
an end when on 21 November 1995, in Dayton Ohio, the warring parties signed a peace agreement that brought to
a halt the three years of strife. The Agreement retained Bosnia
and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic
and democratic government. The national government is responsible for foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a
second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal in size:
the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian
Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are
charged with overseeing internal functions. In 1995-96, a NATO-led
international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia
to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR was
succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission
is to deter renewed hostilities. SFOR remains in place at a much reduced
level of about 11,000 troops. |
