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Cease Fire – 1996

Notwithstanding the NATO enforced peace agreement, sporadic hostilities were reported between the three hostile factions in Bosnia on 6 January 1996. Skirmishes were reported in a the Serb suburb of Sarajevo. A Croatian policeman was shot to death in the Muslim side of Mostar town.¹This violence occurred in conjunction with the handover of Serb-held suburbs to the Federation. The hostilities continued even when the warring sides met in Bosnia to discuss demobilization of their respective armed forces.²

Amidst upcoming elections, tit for tat violence took place in central Bosnia. Two mosques were damaged, one Catholic church firebombed, several vehicles destroyed, and a clutch of Muslim houses mined. These incidents were said to have involved Bosnia’s Muslims and Croats, who feared that upcoming elections would lead to rule by the “other lot.”³ These hostilities, however, did not lead to a major outbreak of violence.

1. “Gunfire rings out again over the weekend in Bosnia,” USA Today, January 8,1996.
2. “Former warring sides in Bosnia meet to discuss demobilization,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur, April 20, 1996.
3. “Bosnia. Unravelling,” The Economist, August 3, 1996, 44.