Macedonia: Surviving the Balkan Wars of 1991–2002 and Their Aftermath

The Balkan Wars of 1991–2002 were the deadliest confl icts in Europe since the Second World War – one dominated by ethnic cleansing resulting in over 100,000 deaths, many non-combatant civilians, with over a million people displaced from their traditional homes. The major parties in the 1991–1996 war were ethnic Croatians (Roman Catholic), Bosniacs (Muslims), and ethnic Serbs (Orthodox Christian) while the 1999– 2002 Kosovo War involved Serbs and ethnic Albanians (Muslims). While Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, and Kosovo have dominated the international spotlight regarding the Third Balkan Wars, Macedonia played a signifi cant role in the breakup of the former Yugoslavia especially relevant to the treatment of the Roma, a group that has long been part of the Balkan culture that suffered greatly during the Balkan Wars. Yet, the forces that forged the settlements for these confl icts basically ignored both Macedonia and the Roma: the United States, European Union, and the United Nations. Thus, while Macedonia was spared from much of the confl ict during the initial 1991–1996 battles, other than playing an important role in supporting the displaced refugees, it got caught up in the latter part of the Third Balkan Wars when Kosovo separated from Serbia.