Limits of Conflict Transformation by International Administrations: Eastern Slavonia as the Exceptional Case

Abstract

This study contributes to the literature on the long term local effects of the United Nations transitional administrations. In a transitional administration mission the UN undertakes administrative, governmental and legal functions over a certain territory. By focusing on the case study of Eastern Slavonia, first and understudied among the three UN transitional administrations initiated in the second half of 1990's, the dissertation brings new and confirms some existing findings. Study finds that in the post-Rwanda and post-Bosnia context the UNTAES mission played important role in justification of liberal peace projects focused on issues beyond state concerns. It was therefore provided with disproportionate resources and commitments, which went beyond existing needs in Eastern Slavonia, making it an interesting successful example for long term effects studies. Study analyses long-term post-conflict narratives of local political elites as presented in Croatian and Serbian newspapers from the town of Vukovar. Analysis focuses on direct references to UNTAES, narratives of cooperation and liberal values, and on narratives of division. Relevant texts are translated into English, quoted as a speech act of local political elites, and commented from the critical point of view. Despite the success of the...