In the world today, persecution is an ongoing fear of many religious and ethnic groups around the world. Fortunately for those in richer countries, they usually do not have to worry about this issue as there are resources in place to avoid mass persecutions, wars, and genocides. One of the most widespread and recent persecutions occurred about 20 years ago in the Yugoslavic region. In 1991, the country of Yugoslavia began to break up between the different ethnicities. When the republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence in 1992from Yugoslavia, war immediately sprang into action. The Serbians targeted Bosniaks – a Bosnian Muslim ethnic group – and Croatian civilians in a campaign of ethnic cleansing, similar to that of Nazi Gemany.
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The height of the killings took place in July 1995 when 8,000 Bosniaks were killed in what became known as the Srebrenica genocide, the largest massacre in Europe after the Holocaust. The war was able to begin because in1987, a Serbian politician named Slobodan Milosevic rose to power and Serb nationalism began. Under the rule of Milosevic, the Yugoslav army, took over numerous cities including: Vukovar, Sarajevo, Bihac, and much more. In doing this, the army committed plenty of atrocities. Specifically, the army aimed to ethnically cleanse the territory of the Bosniaks. They enforced mass executions, concentration camps, rape and sexual violence, and they forced other ethnic groups to run. Unfortunately, the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization did not oppose the Serbians until 1995 – about three years into the war. One of the largest atrocities in the Yugoslavic War was in the town of Srebrenica where a four day massacre occurred in and around the city. Up to 8,000 Bosniak men and teenage boys had been killed, and many women were subject to torture, rape, and violence. Although the UN was hesitant to directly fight the Bosnian Serbs for the fear of losing their neutrality, they eventually stepped in. In August 1995, after the Serbians refused to comply with a UN ultimatum, NATO forces began an aerial bombing campaign. Leader Milosevic finally agreed to enter negotiations that led to a ceasefire. By the end of the war, roughly 100,000 people had died as a
The height of the killings took place in July 1995 when 8,000 Bosniaks were killed in what became known as the Srebrenica genocide, the largest massacre in Europe after the Holocaust. The war was able to begin because in1987, a Serbian politician named Slobodan Milosevic rose to power and Serb nationalism began. Under the rule of Milosevic, the Yugoslav army, took over numerous cities including: Vukovar, Sarajevo, Bihac, and much more. In doing this, the army committed plenty of atrocities. Specifically, the army aimed to ethnically cleanse the territory of the Bosniaks. They enforced mass executions, concentration camps, rape and sexual violence, and they forced other ethnic groups to run. Unfortunately, the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization did not oppose the Serbians until 1995 – about three years into the war. One of the largest atrocities in the Yugoslavic War was in the town of Srebrenica where a four day massacre occurred in and around the city. Up to 8,000 Bosniak men and teenage boys had been killed, and many women were subject to torture, rape, and violence. Although the UN was hesitant to directly fight the Bosnian Serbs for the fear of losing their neutrality, they eventually stepped in. In August 1995, after the Serbians refused to comply with a UN ultimatum, NATO forces began an aerial bombing campaign. Leader Milosevic finally agreed to enter negotiations that led to a ceasefire. By the end of the war, roughly 100,000 people had died as a