Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and had a complex ethnic structure with Slavic Muslims (40%), Serbs (approximately 30%) and Croats (approximately 20%). After the Cold War ended, ethnic strife escalated, leading to the dissolution of the Yugoslav Federal Republic. In 1992, an ethnic conflict broke out due to disputes over national independence. Bosnia and Herzegovina gained independence during the Yugoslav war (1992 to 1995), although the war caused heavy loss of life and a great number of refugees.
In 1992, the United Nations established the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Croatia as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1995, the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) was set up to oversee a wide range of issues related to law enforcement as well as police reform. It was withdrawn at the end of 2002 after fulfilling its mandate.