Located in the northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bijeljina became a center of violence as ethnic tensions intensified with the breakup of Yugoslavia. The massacre involved organized attacks against civilians, particularly focusing on the Bosniak population. Armed forces engaged in house-to-house searches, rounding up dozens of individuals. These actions were part of a broader strategy of ethnic cleansing aimed at eliminating Bosniaks from areas claimed by Bosnian Serbs. Reports indicate that many victims were executed in public displays of violence, instilling fear in the local communities. The sheer brutality of the actions in Bijeljina represented a significant shift in the nature of the conflict, whereby civilian populations became deliberate targets rather than collateral damage. As the war progressed, these acts would be mirrored by similar offensives across the region, leading to a humanitarian crisis of monumental proportions.

The context leading up to these events involves a complex interplay of political maneuvering, ethnic nationalism, and economic instability as Yugoslavia began to disintegrate in the early 1990s. Tensions between ethnic groups were exacerbated by historical grievances, propaganda, and the actions of nationalist political leaders who fueled fears of oppression and loss of identity. As the conflict escalated, factions formed not just along political lines but primarily along ethnic identities, resulting in targeted violence. The events in Bijeljina would be followed by investigations and war crimes trials, part of the efforts to bring justice and accountability for the atrocities committed during the war. Continued discussions surrounding these incidents reveal deep scars in the social fabric of Bosnia and Herzegovina, affecting inter-ethnic relations to this day.