“The Markale Dossier”. A case study of two shellings of Sarajevo in 1994 and 1995

Abstract

The paper describes two shellings of Sarajevo’s Markale market in 1994 and 1995. In both cases a large number of civilians were killed, and the forces of the Army of Republika Srpska were accused. The second incident was followed by NATO airstrikes on Serbian positions around Sarajevo. Based on the available material, the article critically reviews all the testimonies about these events and searches for an answer to the question of what exactly happened. However, neither the available documentation nor the “good intentions of a researcher” could allow an unequivocal conclusion about who was responsible for both shellings. 

Summary: On 5 February 1994 and 28 August 1995, the shelling of the Markale market in Sarajevo killed a large number of civilians. The forces of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) were accused of this, but the Serbian military and civilian leadership denied responsibility. After the first incident, NATO threatened airstrikes against Serbian positions. Although an intensive investigation followed, it still did not provide a decisive answer – who was responsible for the shelling of Markalе. On the other hand, thanks to diplomatic activity, the VRS and the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed to withdraw their heavy weapons from positions in and around Sarajevo within a radius of 20 kilometers. The agreement was signed on 9 February 1994, and its implementation was controlled by the UN forces. Although the combat operations did not end completely, in the following period there was a significant decrease in the number of armed incidents in Sarajevo. After the second incident on 28 August 1995, the NATO alliance carried out airstrikes on Serbian positions around Sarajevo, which was a prelude to the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although this incident was also accompanied by contradictory information about who was responsible, the international community and the Hague Tribunal had already agreed that the shelling of Markale was carried out by Serbian forces. Available documentation and “good intention of a researcher”, however, did not lead to a clear conclusion about who was responsible for both shellings.