Bosnia's war, 30 years on: How did the atrocities happen?

"Bosnia was one of six republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a federation created during World War II and held together for decades under President Josip Broz Tito. After Tito's death in 1980, economic collapse and rising nationalism, particularly in Serbia and Croatia, led to demands for independence across the republics. Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991, with Macedonia following in early 1992, accelerating Yugoslavia's disintegration."

"Most Bosnian Serbs boycotted the vote, however, and instead formed their own Serb Republic structures, which later became the Republika Srpska (RS) entity within Bosnia. Bosnia's push for independence was also unfolding against the backdrop of Serbia's aggressive separatist policies under Slobodan Milosevic, who sought to unify Serb-populated areas in Bosnia and Croatia. The European Community recognised Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent state on April 6, 1992."

Ethnic cleansing campaigns during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina killed about 100,000 people and displaced more than two million. The conflict followed the violent breakup of Yugoslavia and escalating ethnic tensions and competing nationalist projects. The worst atrocity was the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, the largest atrocity in Europe since World War II. Bosnia declared independence after a March 1992 referendum, which was largely boycotted by Bosnian Serbs who formed Serb Republic structures that became the Republika Srpska. Serbia under Slobodan Milosevic pursued policies to unify Serb-populated areas. Bosnian Serb forces, aided by the Yugoslav People's Army and paramilitaries, launched attacks, including the siege of Sarajevo.

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