Key Facts
- Siege start date
- 4 May 1992
- Duration
- Approximately 3 years (1992–1995)
- Attack directions
- Three sides: north, south, and east
- Besieging force
- Army of Republika Srpska (VRS)
- Resolution
- Dayton Agreement connected enclave to rest of Bosnia
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 4 May 1992, the Army of Republika Srpska besieged Goražde, attacking simultaneously from the north, south, and east. The town's Bosniak defenders held out despite being surrounded and cut off from the rest of Bosnian government-held territory. Goražde became one of the United Nations-designated safe areas during the conflict, drawing international attention and periodic diplomatic intervention throughout the multi-year siege.
01 / The Origins
As the Bosnian War erupted in 1992, the Yugoslav People's Army and Republika Srpska forces systematically seized Muslim-majority towns across eastern Bosnia. Foča, Rogatica, and Višegrad fell in the early months of 1992, leaving Goražde as the last significant Muslim stronghold in the southern Bosnian Podrinje region. Its isolation made it a key target for Republika Srpska forces seeking to consolidate control over eastern Bosnia.
03 / The Outcome
The siege lasted until the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. Following the signing of the Dayton Agreement in November 1995, Goražde's enclave was formally connected to the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina via a land corridor. The agreement ended the siege and the broader conflict, allowing the town's surviving population to reestablish contact with Bosnian government territory.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent