Dayton Peace Agreement Day

Observed annually as a regional public holiday in Republika Srpska on the 21st of November every year, Dayton Peace Agreement Day. Republika Srpska is one of the two states of the confederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and this holiday marks the fateful agreement that was reached in 1995 that brought the Bosnian War to an official end.

This war began in 1992 when the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence. This war would last until 1995 and would result in over 2-million people being displaced and over 100,000 people killed. This massive loss of life made it one of the most destructive conflicts to take place in Europe since World War II.

The History Of Dayton Peace Agreement Day.

When Yugoslavia broke up in 1991 several new nations were created, but it also highlighted some of the ethnic differences that had existed in that country. This was extremely evident in Bosnia where its demographics show that the country was split along Serbian and Bosniak lines.

Although there were conflicts prior to 1992 in Bosnia, the Bosnian War officially began on April 6th, 1992. This war involved three factions. These facts were the Bosniaks (loyal to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Croat (loyal to the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and Croatia), and the Serbs (loyal to the Republika Srpska and FR Yugoslavia).

The Bosnian War was characterized by the indiscriminate shelling of towns and cities, ethnic cleansing, and systematic mass rape. It resulted in over 100,000+ people killed, mainly Bosniaks, and was the first genocide in Europe since WWII. The war ended in 1995 with the signing of the Dayton Accords. This agreement began in Dayton, Ohio in the U.S on November 21st, 1995. It was officially agreed to and signed on December 14th, 1995 in Paris, France.

Observing Dayton Peace Agreement Day

This holiday is mainly used as a memorial day to remember all of the victims who died during the Bosnian War. It’s also a day to educate future generations on the impact of the war so that hopefully future conflicts can be avoided.

Where is it celebrated?
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Optional holiday)
When is it?
This year (2023)
November 21 Tuesday
Next year (2024)
November 21 Thursday
Last year (2022)
November 21 Monday