Interethnic Conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Research Paper Example

 Interethnic Conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state made up of many ethnic communities. According to the latest census report, the Bosniacs are the majority ethnic group in the state accounting for about 40% of the total population. They are followed closely by the Serbs whose population stands at about 33% while the Croats make up about 20% of the country’s population. The three ethnic communities are the majority in the country. Research shows that their separate ethnic identities are partly considered the result of different religious affiliations of the three ethnic groups1. The Bosniacs mainly belongs to the Islamic religion, while the Serbs belong to the Orthodox tradition. The Croats, on the other hand, are affiliated to the Roma Catholic. This has seen the three ethnic communities engage each other in one of the worst ethnic violence that took place from 1992 to 1995. The war has been regarded as the worst ethnic violence ever witnessed in Europe since the end of World War II. Latest figures indicate that an estimated 100,000 people out of the country’s 4.4 million people were mercilessly killed in the war and left thousands other injured2. The massacre received wide condemnation from the international community as the war spread throughout Bosnia. Report indicates that Srebrenica was the epicenter of this ethnic violence where an estimated 70,000 Bosniac boys and men were massacred by the Serbian forces. Due to the magnitude and the number of people who died in the war, the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague terms the massacre an act of genocide. Report indicates that the ethnic cleansing resulted in the displacement of more than two million people. The World Bank report more than 60% houses in Bosnia and Herzegovina and more than 50% of schools were destroyed3. In addition, a third of hospitals were also razed to the ground. The war left a huge psychological trauma that continues to raise suspicion among the different ethnic groups in these states. The aim of this paper is to explore the conflict between ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper will also analyze the causes of this interethnic conflict and what needs to be done to bring the warring ethnic communities together. Bosnia and Herzegovina are ethnically diverse states. The dominant ethnic communities in the two states include the Bosniacs, Serbs, and Croats. These ethnic communities coexisted peacefully for a very long time even though they sometimes found themselves at odds with one another or with the government. However, the peacefully coexistence ended in 1992 when civil war broke out in among the three dominant communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina4. The war began following a disagreement between the three ethnic groups on the political future of the republic just soon after the extrication of Yugoslavia in 1991. Research indicates that the Croats and Muslims voted overwhelmingly in favor of the March 1992 referendum in support of the secession from the former Yugoslavia. This led to the session of the two countries resulting in the declaration of Serbia as an independent state. Report indicates that the minority ethnic group boycotted the election and staged protest throughout the country. This is because they wanted Bosnia and Yugoslavia to remain one single state. The protest also resulted in an ethnic violence, which left more than 100,000 people dead, in a war, which began in 1992 and ended in 1995. Of those who died, a majority estimated at about 80,000 was Bosniacs who belong to the Islamic religion. The ethnic cleansing also left thousands of people injured and an estimated two million other displaced from their homes. The war ended following the signing of the Dayton accord in 1995 effectively allowing the military force to be used to bring peace among the warring ethnic communities. The use of military forced effectively ended the war and institutionalized an agreement that all refugees had the right to return to their homes5. Even though reports indicate that, a majority of the displaced persons have since returned in their homes, so many internally displaced persons still remain in the refugee camps throughout the country. Some of those who fled to the neighboring countries have also not returned. This is attributed to the ethnic tension that still exists among the warring ethnic communities. This was confirmed during the recent election in October 2006 in which ethnic divisions and ossification was expressed in the electoral preferences. Even though a remarkable peace has returned among the ethnic communities that were engaged in the war, they still treat one another with a lot of suspicion. This implies that much still needs to be done to bring the warring ethnic communities together and ensuring a lasting peace6. Major causes of interethnic conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina As aforementioned, the ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina lived peacefully for a very long time. In most cases, the three major ethnic communities namely the Bosniacs, Serbs, and Croats viewed each other as brothers and sisters. However, poor politics has largely been blamed for the ethnic conflict that has divided the two countries down the middle. Research indicates that leaders in these two countries tend to use their ethnic communities as a means of ascending to power. For instance, the majority Bosniacs and Serbs and Croats have often used their numbers to ascend to leadership position. This has meant that the minority communities cannot lead because their numbers cannot allow them to win an election. This became apparent when the Croats and the Bosniacs used their numbers to pass the session of Bosnia from the former Yugoslavia, a move that sparked ethnic violence throughout the country7. It is also alleged that the ethnic tension between the ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina is triggered by high level of tribalism and nepotism in places of employment. Reports indicate that tribalism and nepotism is very rife in these two states something that has made bringing lasting peace between the warring communities together. This is after the findings showed that the ethnic communities use their powers in the government and other leadership positions allocate the countries resources mainly to their ethnic communities. This has resulted in inequitable distribution of wealth in the country with the ethnic community in power getting the largest share of the national wealth. This has often angered the minority ethnic communities most of whom have remained jobless due to tribalism in the country8. Solution to the conflict between the warring ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina The causes of the ethnic cleansing that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina eighteen years ago has remained unresolved to date. This is not withstanding the physical and psychological trauma that the victims were subjected to following the massacre. However, it must be appreciated that the government in partnership with the civil right groups have done a lot to help bring a lasting peace between the warring communities9. To bring the warring ethnic communities together, the Bosnia and Herzegovina governments need to initiate a mechanism that seeks to reconcile the ethnic communities in the country. Research indicates the reconciliation is the best tool for solving conflicts between warring factions10. Therefore, initiating a reconciliation mechanism in the country would help make the ethnic communities forgive each other. This would help restore peace in these countries. Secondly, leaders from the warring ethnic communities should refrain from participating divisive politics, which have been blamed for fueling ethnic violence in these countries. It is saddening to see politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina still try to use their ethnic community’s numbers to ascend to power. This became apparent in October 2006 where politicians nearly plunged the country into ethnic violence through divisive politics11. Finally, the government should ensure that there is equitable distribution of resources in the country. As earlier stated, inequitable distribution of resources in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been one of the leading causes of ethnic tension among different ethnic groups in these countries. Therefore, to bring a lasting peace in this country, the government must put their tribes behind and ensure that resources are distributed equitably throughout the country. Bibliography Collier, Paul, and Anke Hoeffler. “Post-Conflict Risks”, Journal of Peace Research, 45(4), pp. 461-478. 2008. Collier, Paul, and Anke Hoeffler. “Greed and grievance in civil war”, Oxford Economic Papers 56. pp. 563-595. 2004. Franović, Ivana. Dealing with the Past in the Context of Ethnonationalism. The Case of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. Berghof Occasional Paper, No. 29. 2008, 3-57. isher, Martina. Peace building and Civil Society in Bosnia-Herzegowina - Ten Years after Dayton. Berlin, Germany. 2007. Kivimäki, Timo, Marina Kramer, and Paul Pasch. The Dynamics of Conflict in the Multi-ethnic State of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Country Conflict-Analysis Study. Sarajevo, 2012, 7-92. O’Loughlin, John. Inter-ethnic friendships in postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina Socio-demographic and place influences. Institute of Behavioral Science and Department of Geography. University of Colorado. 2012, 1-31. Ward, Michael D., John O’Loughlin, Kristin M. Bakke, and Xun Cao. Inter-Ethnic Trust in Conflict-Affected Societies: Bosnia and Herzegovina and the North Caucasus Region of Russia. pp. 1-34. 2007. Read More