Bosnia and Herzegovina : Issues for U.S. Policy / Steven J. Woehrel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Woehrel, Steven J., author.

Series:

CRS report for Congress, RL32392.

CRS report for Congress, RL32392

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

International relations.

Peacekeeping forces--Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Peacekeeping forces.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (13 pages) : map.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, 2005.

Summary:

The 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, brokered primarily by the United States, ended the war in Bosnia, which had cost hundreds of thousands of lives and created over 2 million refugees and displaced persons. The Dayton Peace Accords also set up Bosnia's current political structure of two semi-autonomous, ethnic-based "entities" and a relatively weak central government. It resulted in the deployment of a NATO-led peacekeeping force, which was charged with providing a secure environment for the implementation of the peace agreement. In December 2004, a European Union force took over peacekeeping duties from NATO. A U.N.-appointed High Representative, created by the Dayton Accords, oversees the civilian implementation efforts. In the more than 9 years since the accords, the United States and other countries have scored significant achievements in Bosnia, including sharply reduced inter-ethnic violence, restored freedom of movement, and the return of many refugees and displaced persons to their homes. The international community also has helped Bosnia hold largely free and fair elections and set up many of the institutions of a modern democratic state. However, these individual successes have not added up to the accomplishment of the overall goal of international efforts in Bosnia: the creation of a stable, united Bosnia, able to continue reforms on its own and integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Almost all progress on reforms and on promoting greater unity in Bosnia continues to require direct or indirect intervention by representatives of the international community. Reform efforts continue to be met by obstructionism or passivity by the nationalist parties that control Bosnian governments at all levels. Supporters of international activism in Bosnia say that the only way to move forward is to continue to impose reforms when necessary, and that when these reforms reach a critical mass, they will become self-sustaining.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.