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Life before the genocide

Yugoslavia was created in 1929 after the unification of Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia.

In the years since WW2, Yugoslavia had been a relatively peaceful, multi-ethnic community until after the break-up of the Balkan states in 1991. Extremist Bosnian Serbs, under the Presidency of Slobodan Milosevic the Communist leader and President of Serbia, began to promote the hatred of Muslims through a programme of creating a national identity which in turn led to ethnic cleansing. As he gained power and support, Milosevic overthrew the Governments of Kosovo and Montenegro and instigated genocidal actions in Bosnia and Kosovo.

The war involved different ethnic factions within Bosnia and Herzegovina including Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats and was focused on gaining territorial control. The genocide in Bosnia was caused by one group’s wish for political domination, an aim they were determined to achieve through isolating or killing those who were different to them.