1993

1993 was a year in the final quarter of the twentieth century, occurring during a period of upheaval in the global political system. The Soviet Union had collapsed by the end of 1991, and so 1993 was among the earliest years in which new states were being formed by international bodies, economic arrangements were being negotiated, and national tensions emerging from Eastern Europe and the Balkans were coming to the fore.

That same year, changes in European integration, progress toward Middle Eastern peace, and United Nations operations in Africa were among the major topics covered by international media. For Somalia, 1993 was the year of international operations in Mogadishu that brought significant change.

European Integration

The Maastricht Treaty entered into force in 1993, establishing the European Union and replacing the earlier structure of the European Community. The treaty laid out steps toward common currency and coordinated foreign policy. The same year also saw the beginning of the internal market, through which people, goods, and capital could move freely.

State Separation

On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia split into two states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This separation was called a "peaceful divorce" because it resulted in no armed conflict. At the same time, the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was ongoing, and Eritrea declared independence following a referendum separation from Ethiopia.

Somalia and United Nations Operations

In 1993, the American-led UNITAF operation was handed over to UNOSOM II, a United Nations operation. In Mogadishu, armed clashes occurred between international forces and local militias, most notably in the October fighting in Mogadishu. These events influenced American foreign policy toward military intervention in the years that followed.

Middle Eastern Peace Process

The Oslo Accords were signed in 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The accord provided for Palestinian self-governance in Gaza and the West Bank, and mutual recognition. Implementation of the accords faced considerable dispute in subsequent years.