In the summer of 1995, several events occurred which changed the nature of the Yugoslav conflict. In July 1995, the Bosnian Serbs took control of several UN designated safe areas including Srebrenica, where they allegedly massacred over 5,000 men. On August 28, 1995, a mortar attack in Sarajevo killed approximately 40 people. These atrocities led to airstrikes by NATO aircraft against the Bosnian Serbs. At the same time, Croatian and Bosnian military forces experienced significant military victories against the Bosnian Serbs. The rapidly changing nature of the Yugoslav conflict led to a cease-fire on October 12, 1995 and a new round of negotiations.
In November 1995, the leaders of the Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) began negotiations in Dayton, Ohio under US auspices. On November 21, 1995, an agreement was reached between the warring sides to end the conflict. The General Framework Agreement was signed by the parties on December 14, 1995 in Paris. Implementation of the agreement began immediately.
The agreement establishes a unified Bosnian state, composed of two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina controls 51 percent of the territory and the Republika Srpska controls the remaining 49 percent. Under the terms of the agreement, a central government was to be elected through democratic elections held under international supervision. Individuals charged with war crimes are unable to hold public office. Refugees are allowed to return to their homes and freedom of movement is guaranteed for all Bosnians. An Implementation Force (IFOR) was established to enforce the agreement. It consists primarily of military personnel from NATO countries, although personnel from several non-NATO countries also participate. Several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Red Cross, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, are responsible for rebuilding the war-torn country.
The Yugoslav conflict has raised significant questions regarding the future of UN peacekeeping efforts. To many, the UN peacekeeping operation in Yugoslavia was an abysmal failure. Despite its early intervention in the conflict, it was unable to stop the fighting or prevent the conflict from expanding. It was also unable to prevent the commission of serious human rights abuses, in particular, ethnic cleansing by the Bosnian Serbs against the non-Serb population in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In addition, the presence of lightly armed UN peacekeepers prevented a forceful military response by NATO for most of the conflict because of the possibility that the Bosnian Serbs would retaliate against UN forces.
To many critics, the relatively quick success of NATO military operations in forcing a negotiated settlement highlighted the failure of the United Nations. Such comments, however, fail to recognize the substantive accomplishments of the United Nations. It was instrumental in protecting and providing for millions of refugees throughout the conflict. On a more fundamental level, these comments fail to recognize that the United Nations can only succeed if member states effectively support UN operations. Throughout the conflict, the United States refused to send ground forces to support the UN operation, despite repeated requests by the United Nations, and peacekeeping forces that did participate were often poorly equipped.
On December 20, 1995, the United Nations flag was lowered from UNPROFOR headquarters in Sarajevo, signaling an end to the UN peacekeeping mission. The ceremony was attended by a small number of military personnel and diplomats. It received little attention in the media, who were more concerned with the impending NATO military operations than the end of the UNPROFOR mission. Despite this apparent slight by the international community, Secretary-General Boutros-Boutros Ghali praised the UN peacekeeping mission and recalled that "to be a civil servant is to be trained that no one will thank you."
In February 1996, the Security Council authorized the establishment of a military observer mission in Prevlaka (UNMOP). The 27 military observers are authorized to monitor demilitarization on the Prevlaka peninsula. Its mission is scheduled to expire in January 1997. The three remaining UN missions in the former Yugoslavia, UNPREDEP, UNTAES and UNMIBH, continued to operate throughout 1996.
In December 1996, the Security Council extended the mandate of the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) for an additional 18 months. However, the name Implementation Force will be changed to Stabilization Force (SFOR) to reflect its new mission.
