The UN fed civilians and tried to protect them, but it was given too few troops and too weak a mandate. Its failure at Srebrenica became its darkest moment.
In September 1991 the UN placed an arms embargo on all of Yugoslavia. It hurt the Bosnian government most, because the Bosnian Serbs had the weapons of the Yugoslav army.
The UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) was sent to Bosnia in 1992. It kept Sarajevo airport open and escorted aid convoys, which saved many lives. But it was there to keep a peace that did not exist, and it was not allowed to fight.
In 1993 the Security Council declared six "safe areas", including Srebrenica and Sarajevo. The UN Secretary-General said about 34,000 troops were needed to protect them. Members provided only about 7,600.
NATO air strikes needed approval from both NATO and the UN. This "dual key" system made the use of force slow and weak.
In July 1995 Bosnian Serb forces overran Srebrenica while a small Dutch UN battalion stood by. More than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed.
The UN did create an international tribunal in 1993 to try war crimes. It later convicted Karadzic and Mladic of genocide.
- Arms embargo
- September 1991.
- Safe areas
- 1993: six declared.
- Srebrenica
- July 1995: more than 8,000 killed.
- War crimes tribunal
- Created 1993.
Worked example: Judging the UN
Did the UN fail in Bosnia?
- Humanitarian aid: saved many lives.
- Protection: the safe areas were not defended.
- Neutrality: it could not stop an aggressor.
- Justice: the tribunal later punished war crimes.
Watch out for this
The UN failed because its peacekeepers were cowardly.
UN troops were few, lightly armed and not allowed to fight. The failure came from the weak mandate and resources that member states gave them.
Check your understanding
Why did the arms embargo hurt the Bosnian government most?
- The Bosnian Serbs already had the Yugoslav army's weapons.
- It applied only to the Bosnian government.
- The Bosnian government had a large army.