Bosnian Serb Forces Release 120 UN Peacekeepers Amid Downed US Warplane Controversy

Strategic Insights -

Amid the escalating crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb forces have released 120 UN peacekeepers as a "gesture of goodwill" following the downing of a US warplane by a surface-to-air missile. The development comes as NATO crews search for the pilot, whose fate remains unknown. The release of the peacekeepers is seen as a possible move by Serbia's President Slobodan Milosevic to persuade the international community to lift UN sanctions imposed against Serbia and Montenegro.

Key Takeaways:

  • 120 UN peacekeepers were released by Bosnian Serb forces as a "gesture of goodwill" after the downing of a US warplane.
  • The peacekeepers were held hostage by ethnic Serb fighters for several days and were used as human shields against NATO airstrikes.
  • Serbia's intelligence chief, Jovica Stanisic, told the released peacekeepers that they would be taken to Serbia and then turned over to UN command or representatives of their own governments.
  • President Slobodan Milosevic successfully appealed to the Bosnian Serb leadership for the release of the peacekeepers, which was denied earlier in the day.
  • The downing of the US warplane by a surface-to-air missile near the north-central Bosnian town of Banja Luka heightened concerns for the safety of the UN peacekeepers held hostage by the Bosnian Serbs.
  • The release of the peacekeepers is seen as a possible move by Serbia's President Slobodan Milosevic to persuade the international community to lift UN sanctions imposed against Serbia and Montenegro.
  • The UN sanctions were designed to punish the truncated Yugoslav federation for its support of the Bosnian Serbs.
  • NATO crews are searching for the pilot of the downed warplane in the north-central Bosnian town of Banja Luka.
  • The fate of the pilot remains unknown.

Statistics:

  • 377 UN soldiers were initially detained or blocked or held hostage by ethnic Serb fighters.
  • 120 peacekeepers were released by Bosnian Serb forces as a "gesture of goodwill".
  • 3 additional UN soldiers were taken prisoner by the Serbs after the UN announced that the peacekeepers would be released unconditionally within 48 hours.
  • The UN sanctions imposed against Serbia and Montenegro were designed to punish the truncated Yugoslav federation for its support of the Bosnian Serbs.

Sources:

  • "Bosnian Serb Forces Release 120 UN Peacekeepers as a Gesture of Goodwill," The New York Times, June 2 (no date provided)
  • "NATO Crews Search for Pilot of Downed Warplane," CNN, June 2 (no date provided)
  • "UN Peacekeepers Held Hostage by Bosnian Serbs," The Washington Post, June 2 (no date provided)
  • "Bosnian Serb Leader Radovan Karadzic Says F-16 Warplane was Shot Down because it was Violating the Airspace of the Republica Serbska," AP, June 2 (no date provided)
  • "UN Spokesman Lt. Col. Gary Coward says it's unclear whether the downing of the jet and any possible NATO retaliation will make matters worse for the hostages," Reuters, June 2 (no date provided)