PANEL AND WORKING GROUP THEMES:

QUESTIONS FOR POLICY

THE SECURITY DIMENSION

The security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains uncertain. NATO's Implementation Force ( IFOR) has managed to halt the fighting between Serbs, Muslims and Croats, but a recurrence of hostilities is not improbable. Efforts to create a separate state or states could lead to renewed fighting. Disputed territory such as the town of Brc'ko could a lso spark conflict. The threat of renewed violence is compounded by the scheduled departure of 50,000 U.S.-led NATO peacekeepers on December 20. Troops from 15 NATO countries and 17 other nations have played an important role in carrying out provisions in the Dayton peace accord, including separating the warring parties, removing heavy weapons, clearing mines, rebuilding infrastructure and assisting in the elections. Many critics predict that the departure of NATO forces will result in the unravelling of the entire peace process.


Questions for Policy



IFOR's future:

  • Should the 50,000 NATO troops (mostly U.S.) stay in Bosnia after December 20? What repercussions would likely result from a pull-out ?

  • As a member of NATO and a close neighbour of the United States, should Canada use whatever influence it has to persuade the United States to keep their troops in Bosnia?

  • What should be the role of an international military fo rce in post-elections Bosnia? How large a contingent should it be? How should it be structured?

  • If IFOR's mandate is extended, should NATO set a new mission deadline?

    Canada's contribution:

  • Prime Minister Jean C hrŽtien has hinted that Canada supports a continued military presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is unclear whether Canadian troops would participate in an extended mission. Is it in Canada's best interest to maintain a peacekeeping contingent of 1,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Would it make better sense for Canada to turn its efforts elsewhere?

  • If NATO decides to extend the IFOR mission past December 1996, can Canada decide to remove its troops from Bosnia, or, given its membership in NATO, is it obliged to maintain a minimum force contribution?

    Preventing renewed violence

  • The Dayton agreement essentially splits Bosnia and Herzegovina into two entities under a unitary state, but there are several parce ls of land which remain hotly disputed. What can NATO and the rest of the international community do to prevent minor wars or border skirmishes?

  • In Bosnia and Herzegovina, many weapons remain in the hands of militants. How can the population be demilitarized, and by whom, when the proliferation of guns and ammunition is so widespread?

  • Some Western countries, including the United States, support a strategy to help arm the majority Bosnian Muslim government in case war breaks out again. What position should Canada take on the question of supplying arms to the Bosnian government?

  • How can the international community assist all parties in shifting resources from defence-related expenditures to human and economic develo pment priorities?