Politics and Government
Bosnia-Herzegovina has perhaps the most complex, not to say contradictory, political structure of any country in the world, imposed upon it under the terms of the 1995 Dayton Accords.

The Accords formally reaffirmed the country's sovereignty and independence. At the same time, however, they ratified the involvement within its borders of hostile neighbours (Serbia and Croatia), provided for its virtual occupation by Nato troops, entrenched the continued existence on its territory of two (if not three) domestic armies, and endowed it with extremely weak central state powers.

The Accords formally evoked the right of refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes. At the same time, however, they left in power in Republika Srpska and 'Herzeg-Bosna' the very forces who had driven them out.

The Accords formally endorsed universalist aspirations to democracy, human rights and multi-ethnicity. At the same time, however, they legitimized ethnic particularism in the very definition of the two 'entities' into which B-H was divided, and in every aspect of the labyrinthine constitutional order with which they saddled the country.

The struggle of Bosnia-Herzegovina and its population to create a viable future for themselves despite these imposed constraints form the essential subject-matter of successive issues of Bosnia Report.

Web Links

• Bosnian Embassy in Washington
• Documents about the Dayton process
• The Dayton Agreement in full
• Office of the High Representative (OHR)
• Tribunal Update - information about the War Crimes Tribunal
• Human Rights Chamber for B-H
• Human Rights Ombudsperson for B-H
• B-H Ministry for Foreign Affairs
• Stability Pact
• Central Bank of B-H