In 1992 the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina voted for independence. However, Serbs boycotted the vote and were determined to remain in Yugoslavia to build a greater Serbia. Bosnian Croats wished to create a larger Croatia. Tension escalated into savage armed conflict. Croat and Serb militia groups fought for land, removing people from their homes, sometimes carrying out terrible massacres. This was known as ‘ethnic cleansing’.
In order to reduce the violence in Bosnia, British soldiers were deployed under United Nations mandate. As well as acting as peacekeepers, they protected towns and aid convoys, and provided humanitarian aid to displaced persons.
