Bosnian Serbs Bring UN Peacekeeping to a Halt Amid New Sanctions

Strategic Insights -

Tensions escalated in the Bosnian conflict as the Bosnian Serb army, led by General Ratko Mladic, brought United Nations peacekeeping operations to a standstill in response to new UN sanctions imposed for their refusal to endorse a peace plan. The defiant move halted UN military and aid convoys, closed Sarajevo airport, and prevented UN troops from checking for banned guns in the heavy weapons exclusion zone. The UN Security Council had imposed fresh sanctions, including a ban on foreign travel by Bosnian Serb leaders and trade with the territory, in an effort to isolate the intransigent Bosnian Serbs and force them to accept the peace plan.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Bosnian Serb army, led by General Ratko Mladic, halted all UN peacekeeping operations, including military and aid convoys, to protest new UN sanctions.
  • The sanctions, imposed by the UN Security Council, ban foreign travel by Bosnian Serb leaders and trade with the territory.
  • The UN has maintained that the NATO air raid which destroyed a tank was a "proportionate response" to Serb attacks on peacekeepers and breaches of the weapons exclusion zone.
  • A dispute has emerged over the term of Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Rose, the commander of UN forces in Bosnia, with a possible replacement being discussed.
  • NATO has expressed a willingness to use air strikes against Serbian guns, but General Rose has argued that such actions would be counterproductive.
  • The Muslim-led Bosnian Government has described the UN Security Council's move as premature, citing continuing supplies from Yugoslavia to the Bosnian Serbs.

Statistics:

  • 24 hours: the timeframe given by General Ratko Mladic for the UN to apologise for the NATO air raid, following which his forces would retaliate against peacekeeping troops.
  • May 1992: the month the UN imposed sanctions against Serbia to punish them for backing the Bosnian Serbs.
  • 1 year: the term of Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Rose, the commander of UN forces in Bosnia.

Sources:

  • Reuter
  • New York Times