Western Balkans

Commentary Bosnia 20 years on: remembrance but not reconciliation

Mirjana Kosić and Ian Bancroft from TransConflict – a peacebuilding organisation based in the Western Balkans – examine obstacles to reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Twenty years on from the start of the war, the country struggling to move towards the sort of reconciliation necessary to transcend the country’s persistent ethnic divisions. Read more >>>

Commentary Women, War and Peace

With three women winning this year’s Nobel Peace prize, now is an apt time for PBS’s new series, Women, War and Peace initiative, especially as the central character of one of the films is Leymah Gbowee, one of the Nobel Prize winners. Read more >>>

From the field Mladic and Srebrenica, 16 years later

After nearly 16 years on the run, Ratko Mladić, the war-time Bosnian Serb general and most wanted ICTY fugitive, was finally arrested north of Belgrade. Indicted on 16 counts, including genocide and complicity in genocide, news of his surprise apprehension had an instantaneous reaction across the globe, with hundreds of journalists swarming to Serbia to provide first-hand insight. Whilst applauded by many, certain responses in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have revealed the extent to which the conflict in the former Yugoslavia lingers on – and the barriers that continue to prevent true reconciliation throughout the region. Read more >>>

From the field Bosnia and Herzegovina today – the view from Tuzla

Fifteen years on from the end of violent conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the consequences of war still exert a heavy influence over society. In the absence of a civic conception of state, the ethnicisation of society continues apace; leading many to describe today’s divisions as being as wide as at any point since 1995. Tuzla is home to some 180,000 citizens, including many displaced by the conflict of the early-nineties. In spite of the demographic turbulence that BiH has endured, Tuzla has remained largely multi-ethnic in composition, with Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Croats and Serbs residing side-by-side. Read more >>>

From the field International Court of Justice to rule on Kosovo

On Thursday 22nd July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will finally issue its long-awaited and increasingly anticipated advisory, non-binding opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence. Though speculation suggests that, given the complexity and contentiousness of the issue at hand, the ICJ will likely refrain from ruling decisively in favour of either one side or the other, it will have important implications for the future of the disputed territory. Read more >>>

From the field Update on Minorities National Councils elections in Serbia

Last week, I posted about the preparations for elections for the Minorities National Councils (MNC) in Serbia. These elections have now taken place, and around 54% (some 240,000) of those registered to vote took part; with the Greek minority registering the highest turnout (77%); the Ashkali the lowest (39%). Read more >>>

From the field Serbia’s minorities choose their representatives

On June 6th, sixteen national minorities in Serbia will hold direct elections for their respective Minority National Councils (MNCs), which function as the principle representatives of minority communities throughout Serbia. Read more >>>

From the field Rebuilding Trust in Zenica

At at time when the trial of Radovan Karadzic reminds us all of the darkest days of the War in Bosnia (1992-95), it is important that we look also to the signs of progress, where community leaders have reached across the divides to try and build sustainable peace. Read more >>>

From the field Solid Proof that a Mutual Life is Possible

Ethnic cleansing during the Bosnia War (1992-95) destroyed many communities that had previously been multi-ethnic. One such example is Bratunac, a small city in Eastern Bosnia, not far from Srebrenica. Many of the Bosniak community that was forced to abandon their homes thought that they would never return, or if they did so that relations between Bosniaks and Serbs could never recover. But some brave individuals have had the strength to find the common humanity in their neighbours and seek reconciliation. Their work shows that a common future is possible with mutual respect between the Serb and Bosniak communities in Bratunac. Read more >>>