The Bosnian Civil War was a conflict that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a southeastern European country, between 1992 and 1995. It was a part of the breakup of Yugoslavia following the country's dissolution in the early 1990s. The war emerged as a result of political and ethnic tensions among the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim), Croat, and Serb populations, living in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The conflict was characterized by widespread violence, with ethnic and religious differences playing a central role in the hostilities. It involved numerous militias, paramilitary groups, and the regular armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. The Bosnian Serb forces, supported by the Serbian government, were notably involved in numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing campaigns targeting Bosniaks and Croats.
The Bosnian Civil War caused immense human suffering, with hundreds of thousands of people killed, millions displaced, and countless others subjected to violence, rape, and torture. The war also witnessed large-scale destruction of cities, towns, and infrastructure, leaving lasting scars on Bosnia and Herzegovina. The international community, under the auspices of the United Nations, deployed peacekeeping forces and mediated negotiations to bring an end to the conflict, culminating in the signing of the Dayton Agreement in 1995, which established a framework for peace and the formation of a unified Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Bosnian Civil War stands as a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of ethnic and political divisions, and has had a lasting impact on the region's stability and socio-political landscape.
