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22. Bosnia's Incomplete Transition: Between Dayton and Europe
- Publication Date:
- 03-2009
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- While Bosnia and Herzegovina's time as an international protectorate is ending, which is in itself most welcome, now is the wrong time to rush the transition. The state put together by the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement after a long war will never be secure and able to take its place in the European Union (EU) until it is responsible for the consequences of its own decisions. But tensions are currently high and stability is deteriorating, as Bosniaks and Serbs play a zero-sum game to upset the Dayton settlement. Progress toward EU membership is stalled, and requirements set in 2008 for ending the protectorate have not been not met.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Civil War, Ethnic Conflict, Peace Studies, Religion, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Balkans
23. A New Agenda for Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Author:
- Jim O'Brien
- Publication Date:
- 08-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- USIP has circulated several papers analyzing the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Collectively, they offer diverse but insightful portraits of developments in Bosnia. This short note takes a different approach. I focus on what can be done, not on causes or description. Because there is attention or money for only a few things to be done in Bosnia, we should pick our initiatives carefully.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Peace Studies, and War
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans
24. Kosovo: Štrpce, a Model Serb Enclave?
- Publication Date:
- 10-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Štrpce, one of Kosovo's largest Serb enclaves and one of the few with good Serb-Albanian relations and economic prospects, risks falling victim to the status dispute between Belgrade and Pristina. But it also has a chance to demonstrate to Serbs that they can protect their interests within Kosovo's constitutional order. Since May 2008, the municipality has been governed by competing authorities, both Serb-led: an official government appointed by the UN in the face of local opposition and a parallel regime elected in defiance of Kosovo law. Neither has the capacity to perform its duties. The impasse has deprived this peaceful enclave of effective government and devastated its economy, notably by preventing regulation of its lucrative property market and blocking privatisation of the Brezovica ski resort. Local elections on 15 November 2009 can end the un- easy status quo, give Štrpce a legitimate government and unlock its economic potential. Belgrade, Pristina and the international community should encourage voting and thereafter equip the municipal government with the expanded powers and resources it needs.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Ethnic Conflict, and War
- Political Geography:
- Serbia, Balkans, and Albania
25. Bosnia's Dual Crisis
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) post-war status quo has ended but the international community risks muddling the transition by delaying decisions on a new kind of engagement. Republika Srpska (RS), one of the state's two entities, has defied the High Representative, Bosnia's international governor, and the international community has not backed him up. Instead, the U.S. and the European Union (EU) launched in October 2009 on the Butmir military base outside Sarajevo a high-level effort to persuade the country's leaders to adopt far-reaching constitutional reforms and allow the mandate of the High Representative and his office (OHR) to end. Disagreements over the scope and content of reform make agreement uncertain. But Bosnia's leaders should adopt as much of the EU-U.S. proposal as possible, and the international community should end its protectorate in favour of a new, EU- and NATO-led approach including strong security guarantees.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Ethnic Conflict, and Sectarianism
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and Balkans
26. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: PARSING THE OPTIONS
- Author:
- Michael Dziedzic and Megan Chabalowski
- Publication Date:
- 09-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- On June 25, 2009, USIP hosted a public forum, “Bosnia and Herzegovina: Parsing the Options,” where various courses of action for U.S. policy toward Bosnia and its unfinished state-building were debated. At issue are Bosnia's current conditions and what to do about them: Is the country on a trajectory toward instability and violence, or is it making hesitant progress? What is needed to overcome ethnic tensions between Bosnia's political leaders and how can the international community induce them into productive negotiations over reforms? What should the U.S.'s role be in Bosnia's integration process into the EU?
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Regional Cooperation, Treaties and Agreements, and War
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Balkans
27. The Current Status of Religious Coexistence and Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Author:
- Renata Stuebner
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- This report is intended to examine the status of religious reconciliation and coexistence in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Bosnia and Herzegovina's centuries-old tradition of religious coexistence is rapidly disappearing. Memories of a time when people shared the same schools, office space and living conditions are slowly giving way to a fear of “the others.” Some positive interactions still take place due to family ties from mixed marriages, economic interdependence and old, enduring friendships. However, some efforts of top religious leaders, similar to those of the nationalistic politicians, seem to be driving society in the opposite direction.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Ethnic Conflict, and War
- Political Geography:
- Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans
28. Serbia - Stepping into Calmer or Rougher Waters?
- Author:
- Djordje Popovic
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- The May 2008 elections in Serbia showed that the majority of the voters opted for European integration. However, difficulties in forming the government in the period after the elections proved that Serbian society is still highly divided. The polarization between pro-Europeans and traditionalists became so intense that it provided a coalition potential to Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia that even they did not expect. After an exhausting period of negotiations the Socialists decided to join the pro-European bloc, for the time-being.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Serbia, and Balkans
29. Will the Real Serbia Please Stand Up?
- Publication Date:
- 04-2008
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Kosovo's independence declaration on 17 February 2008 sent shock waves through Serbia's politics and society, polarising the former in a manner not seen since the Milosevic era. Rioting led to attacks on nine Western embassies, destruction of foreign property and massive looting. The government fell on 10 March, split over whether to pursue a nationalist or pro-Western path. Belgrade's efforts to create a de facto partitioning of the north of Kosovo threaten the new state's territorial integrity and challenge deployment of European Union (EU) missions there, and Serbian parliamentary and local elections on 11 May are unlikely to change the basic policy towards the new state, even in the unlikely event a pro-Western government comes to power. They may, however, well give Serbia's nationalist parties new leverage.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Conflict Prevention, Nationalism, and Sovereignty
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Kosovo, Serbia, and Balkans
30. Negotiating the final status of Kosovo
- Author:
- Marc Weller
- Publication Date:
- 12-2008
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- When two express trains race towards one another on a single-track line, there is not much room for compromise. Either one side gives up and selects reverse gear in a hurry, or there is an almighty crash. This is how self-determination conflicts outside of the colonial context have traditionally been resolved. The secessionist entity either renounces its claim to independence, or a violent conflict ensues. The conflict will continue, often for decades, until those invoking the right to self-determination have been crushed or have given up.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Political Violence, NATO, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Kosovo and Balkans