Marshal Tito died in 1980. Nationalist and anticommunist feelings grew in the republics. Fighting started in 1991. Concentration camps, mass rape of Muslim women, burning villages, broken ceasefires and thousands of refugees resulted.
From April 1992, Sarajevo was shelled almost daily for forty months. NATO aircraft, available on Italian airfields, were not called in. Military experts and politicians gave many reasons.
Soldiers hated seeing civilians killed and hospitals without heat, light or water, but high policy barred action. "The UN", the universal scapegoat, was blamed.
In August/September 1995 American led air strikes rapidly silenced guns, commentators, experts and politicians.
At Dayton, Ohio, in November 1995, a minatory agreement was signed to end the fighting, separate the combatants, transfer territory and allow refugees and displaced people to return to their homes.
Under UN authority NATO set up a 60,000 strong implementation force, IFOR, for an enforcement operation. IFOR also supported less spectacular, but more difficult, civil side of the agreement (elections, etc).
It became clear that the civil tasks could not be concluded within IFOR's one year mandate. Instability was feared. Again under UN authority, NATO organised a stabilisation force, SFOR with 35,000 troops. It took over in December 1966 to deter the renewal of hostilities and stabilise the peace.
The Irish government decided to provide 51 military police personnel this year - our first service with NATO. The UN has had to devolve some peacekeeping to "regional organisations" (like NATO). There has been much standardisation of doctrine and procedures. If we fall behind, our usefulness will be limited.
The serious violence has been stopped. The former Yugoslav Republics, now independent states overshadowed by heavily armed Serbia/Montenegro, are arming themselves, but within strict and inspected limits (one hopes).
In 1997, under an American "train and equip" programme, the "Bosnian-Croat Federation" formed a "rapid reaction brigade" near Sarajevo. It will have American provided armour and 50/50 Croat/Bosnian manpower.
The main federal force will have 30 - 35,000 active troops and 25,000 conscripts - large for a population about the size of ours, but much smaller than previously.
The Dayton agreement required both sides to lift their own mines. Later it was stated that this was impractical. However, considerable progress is now reported.
The July North Atlantic Council (NAC) Declaration indicates IFOR's problems. The agreement's provision on police reforms, the right of people to return to their homes and access to the media are listed. Concern was expressed about Republika Srbska, the Serbian part of Bosnia, with its increasingly anti-democratic climate and abuses of police authority.Serbian "hate broadcasts" have been closed down. Last week the UN High Representative, responsible for civilian implementation, was given additional powers. The word "protectorate" is muttered.The way ahead is uncertain but there is solid progress in demilitarisation in Eastern Slavonia and the Prevlaka Peninsula. Irish officers serve there. Slovenia's progress has secured her admission to the EC.