ABSTRACT

Some of the most documented atrocities of the 1990s have taken place in the states of the former Yugoslavia. Perhaps the light skin of the combatants and the proximity to western Europe have caused the tragedies in the Balkans to receive more international attention than the slaughter and starvation of millions in parts of Africa. Nevertheless, the Balkans wars hold the ignominious distinction of introducing the concept of ethnic cleansing to the world's attention. The practice behind this euphemism has been full-scale genocide, massive destruction of villages and towns, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of refugees.