NATO's Visible Changes in Bosnia: A New Era of Enforcement

Strategic Insights -

The NATO-led implementation force (IFOR) has brought about significant changes in Bosnia since taking over from the United Nations peacekeeping force just four days ago. Military checkpoints have been removed, mines have been cleared, and roads across front lines have been opened, allowing NATO soldiers to move unopposed into Serb-controlled villages. A prisoner exchange between 200 Muslim and Serbian prisoners of war took place on a bridge east of the city, marking the first under the Dayton accords and one of the largest in at least two years. However, despite these advancements, many obstacles lie ahead, particularly on the Serbian side of the lines, where the NATO troops face the task of convincing Bosnian Serbs that they will be even-handed in their enforcement of the peace agreement.

Key Takeaways:

  • NATO's IFOR has removed military checkpoints, cleared mines, and opened roads across front lines in Bosnia within four days of taking over from the UN peacekeeping force.
  • A prisoner exchange between 200 Muslim and Serbian prisoners of war took place on a bridge east of the city, marking the first under the Dayton accords and one of the largest in at least two years.
  • The exchange is only the beginning, as NATO faces many obstacles, particularly on the Serbian side of the lines, where convincing Bosnian Serbs of their even-handedness will be crucial.
  • Residents in Doboj, a Serb-controlled town, displayed an embittered weariness, with some expressing suspicion about NATO's intentions, while others were hopeful that the presence would enable them to return to their homes.
  • The town of Doboj has been held by Serbs since May 1992, and residents believe the world has been against them, with many houses destroyed and a farming village along the last five miles into Doboj reduced to shells.
  • The mood in Doboj contrasts sharply with that in areas controlled by the Bosnian Government, where residents, like Halil Hadzic, are hopeful that the NATO presence will enable them to return to their homes.

Statistics:

  • 200 Muslim and Serbian prisoners of war were exchanged on a bridge east of the city in the first prisoner exchange under the Dayton accords.
  • The prisoner exchange was one of the largest in at least two years, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
  • 69-year-old Ilija is concerned about NATO's intentions, saying it is "too early to say what we think about this because we don't know their intentions -- it's a fog."
  • 40 percent of the prewar population of 100,000 in Doboj was Muslim, who were brutally driven out by Serbs in May 1992.
  • Two British soldiers were slightly wounded by a mine explosion in western Bosnia on Saturday.
  • The Swedes hope to open the road for all traffic in a day or two, said Capt. Hans Stening.

Sources:

  • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Associated Press
  • United Nations peacekeeping force
  • NATO-led implementation force (IFOR)