During the early 1990s, Serbian troops committed violent and heinous crimes against ethnic Croatians as the country split from the former Yugoslavia. The violence started when Serbian forces entered into Croatia to defend the ethnic Serbs, who were attempting to create their own sovereign states there. Extreme violence occurred between 1991 and 1995; however the International Court of Justice was unable to confirm whether the intent of Serbian forces was to specifically harm ethnic Croatians. In addition to the mass killings, Serbia inflicted torture, ill treatment, sexual abuse and rape as well as deprivation of food and medical care that resulted in a death toll over 20,000. The ICJ acknowledged that Serbia created “a climate of coercion and terror” resulting in a Croat exodus from the region (about 200,000 abandoned Croatia). However, in order for this act to be considered Genocide, there had to have been proof that the Serbians went in aspiring to extinguish a specific group of people. This definition was established at the Genocide Convention, which was created in 1948.
The ICJ ruling is significant because it means that Croatia will not receive restitution from Serbia. Though perhaps most significantly, the dramatic 16-year saga that has strained Serbian-Croat relations has finally come to an end. Whether the two nations accept the ruling long term is yet to be seen, but improvements in foreign relations are certainly a possibility. Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic expressed optimism for “a period of lasting peace and prosperity” in the area. Though not pleased, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic held: “We are not satisfied with the court’s ruling but we accept it in a civilised manner.” The legitimacy of the International Court of Justice has potential to improve foreign relations across the world. However, there will need to be an added effort from the world’s hegemons in order for this to become a reality.
TRANS-NATIONAL CRIME AND TERRORISM 