United Nations Confronts Contradiction in Bosnia

Strategic Insights -

As the United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia identified Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic as suspected war criminals, a fundamental contradiction within the organization has come to the forefront. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia sees these leaders as respectable interlocutors, essential for maintaining a fragile peace, while the tribunal aims to hold them accountable for war crimes. This inherent dilemma raises questions about the effectiveness of the United Nations' dual approach: pursuing justice through the tribunal while engaging with the same individuals to facilitate aid delivery and peace negotiations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has identified Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic as suspected war criminals, paving the way for their eventual indictment and international arrest warrant.
  • The decision creates a fundamental contradiction for the United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia, which must balance its need to engage with these leaders to maintain peace and facilitate aid delivery with its commitment to hold them accountable for war crimes.
  • The tribunal's chief prosecutor, Judge Richard Goldstone, has assured that the court will not be swayed by political considerations and will continue proceedings against Karadzic and Mladic, even if an eventual peace agreement offers them immunity.
  • The United Nations tribunal is a pale substitute for military action, an attempt to distinguish right from wrong in the midst of the Bosnian carnage, but its establishment has been an important step in recognizing the need for accountability.
  • Over 24,000 United Nations soldiers remain in Bosnia, tasked with delivering aid to all parties involved, amidst a conflict that could persist for years.
  • The inherent contradiction in the United Nations' twin approach has now come to a head, with senior officials expressing difficulties in making progress towards peace or fulfilling the aid mission without the cooperation of Karadzic and Mladic.
  • The United Nations faces a basic problem: can it prosecute and imprison the same Serbs on whom its peacekeeping forces depend, highlighting the need for one of its hats to be dropped.

Statistics:

  • 24,000 United Nations soldiers are still stationed in Bosnia, tasked with delivering aid to all parties involved.
  • 700,000 Muslim civilians were forcibly evicted from their homes in Bosnia by the Serbs in 1992.
  • 22 Serbs had been indicted by the United Nations tribunal before today, focusing on Karadzic and Mladic has changed the dynamics.

Sources:

  • "United Nations Tribunal Names Bosnian Serb Leaders as Suspected War Criminals" (New York Times, date not specified)
  • "U.N. Tribunal Indicts Bosnian Serb Leaders" (The New York Times, date not specified)
  • "U.N. Faces Contradiction in Bosnia" (The New York Times, date not specified)
  • "United Nations Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia" (official website, date not specified)