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Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Volume 4 Issue 1 The Journal of Mine Action Article 27

February 2000

Bosnia and

Country Profile Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU (CISR)

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Recommended Citation Profile, Country (2000) " and Herzegovina," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 4 : Iss. 1 , Article 27. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol4/iss1/27

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Profile:

BOSNIA& HERZEGOVINA

H I s T o R Y : After Marshal Tito's death to collect wood from mined areas or in 1980 and the collapse of the former clear houses that might have been Soviet Union, the Socialist Federal booby-trapped. In 1992, Serb forces Republic of (SFRY) divided used land mines to keep mainly Muslim Brcko • • Bihac into five different countries: Slovenia, • civilians in a makeshift detention camp. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), BOSNIA & One thousand people were there at a the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia HERZEGOVINA time and most were eventually ex­ ( and ) and the ecuted. In 1993 deported non- @ Republic of Macedonia. After having had to walk across mine fields to declared its independence from SFRY • positions held by the government. In in March 1992, BiH fought in a war that 1995 a Serb detention camp, which lasted over three-and-a-half years. This housed 400 men, forced prisoners to SERBIA war destroyed families, communities participate in mine clearance near the and infrastructure and left the country Adna tJc Sea camp. The collapse of the U.N.-pro­ littered with landmines and tected "safe haven" of to unexploded ordance. After the Dayton Serb forces in July 1995 lead to numer­ agreement was signed on Dec. 14, D EM I N I NG : The London Peace ous mine-related deaths and injury 1995, the war officially ended and the Implementation Conference in Decem­ among the civilian populace. country was divided into two entities: ber 1996 stated that Bosnia and BiH and . Most mine Herzegovina were to make all aspects UN MAC : The United Nations Mine fields are found along the Inter-Entity of demining operations exempt from Action Center (UN MAC) was estab­ Boundary Line (IEBL) and the Zone of taxes and customs duties. The new lished in 1996 to coordinate demining Separation (ZOS). Slovenia International Trust Fund could activities in the country. After concerns provide up to $56 million for mine were expressed at the London confer­ LANDMINE AND UXQ clearance and victim assistance in BiH. ence in December 1996, which was set 0 V E R V I E W : As a result of the war BHMAC is currently working on up to review the Dayton agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a heavily gathering more accurate information authorities in BiH were required to mined country. As of January 1999, about the UXO situation in BiH through assist UNMAC by providing landmine Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action maps and surveys. data, and by making all aspects of mine Center (BHMAC) reported 18,229 clearance exempt from duties and known mine fields of an estimated WA R RE A L I T Y CH E C K : The taxes. 30,000 mine fields in the country with civilian population of Bosnia and 750,000 land mines in the ground. Herzegovina has been subjected to the CONTACT INFO RMA TION: BHMAC reports that 83.55 percent are cruel and inhumane process known as Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine AP mines and 16.45 are AT mines. "."Landmines are a Action Center feature of the human rights abuses Enes Cengic VICTIMS AND CASUALTIES: that have occurred there. At the Tel: +387-71-443-337 From Jan.1, 1992 through Dec. 31, 1998, beginning of the war, minority groups Website: http://www. the ICRC has registered a total 3,885 consisting of local and wibblywobblyweb.com/ mac/ mine victims (those injured or killed by were forced into labor detachments to landmines).ln BiH there have been 145 support the Serbs. They were ordered victims.

Published by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2000 1