The electoral defeat of the Yugoslavian Communist Party in 1990 resulted in a coalition of the Muslim PDA, the Serbian SDP and the Croatian CDUûBH. Disputes soon broke out between Serbs and Croats. Backed by the Serb-dominated Yugoslav People's Army, Bosnian Serb territories declared autonomy and allegiance to Serbia. The PDA and CDUûBH then declared Bosnia a sovereign state. Civil war broke out between the three groups in 1992. The Serbs, led by Radovan Karadzic, are the strongest force, and have received most international blame. In 1993, an uneasy truce was reached between the SDP and CDUûBH. Conflict between the PDA and SDP continues. In 1994, the UN tried to contain the fighting by declaring key Muslim towns "safe areas" and by sponsoring peace talks.
