Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia

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Croatian Republic of
Herzeg-BosniaHrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna

1992–1994

Flag of Herzeg-Bosnia Flag

Coat of arms

Croatian community of Herzeg-Bosnia on 18. November 1991. shown in dark blueCroatian community of Herzeg-Bosnia on 18. November 1991. shown in dark blue

Status

Self-proclaimed Croatian entity in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Internationally unrecognized)

Capital

de iure Mostar,
de facto Grude

Government

Republic

Historical era

Yugoslav wars

• Breakup of Yugoslavia

June 25, 1991

• Secessions

April 27 1992 1992

• Proclamation of the existence of the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia

November 18, 1991

• Washington Agreement

March 18 1994 1994

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1990-1992)

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatian community of Herzeg-Bosnia (Template:Lang-hr), as the political, cultural, economic and territorial organization of the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded on 18 November 1991. It was established by the political leadership of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina), in response to Serbian aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croats in that country. Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia on 28 August 1993 became the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Template:Lang-hr), as Croatian administrative unit within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Herzeg-Bosnia ceased to exist on 18 March 1994 when it was joined to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina upon the signing the Washington Agreement by the authorities of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatian communtiy, after the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia has never brought the constitution of the termination of relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not even brought its statute and in all aspects respect the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Etimology

The term of Herzeg-Bosnia (Template:Lang-hr) is a compound which was proclaimed at the beginning of the twentieth century in certain Croatian intellectual circles, which is substituting the term Bosnia and Herzegovina. That term was accepted again in early 1990s by the policy of Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is also under the term was seen as completely territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After 18 November 1991, that term was associated for the Croatian community after the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia with its capital in Grude. After the Washington Agreement and the establishment of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is composed of cantons, conflicts of politicians about name of Croatian majority canton with administrative center in Livno (The proposals were: Dinara, Tropolje, Livno etc.) was adopted compromis name Herzeg-Bosnia Canton, which is as such at Constitutional Court Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared unconstitutional. Official name of Herzeg-Bosnia canton today is Canton 10. Today, Herzeg-Bosnia is the name that indicates the majority Croatian areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, although these areas are not classified into one complete unit.

History

The ruling party in the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), organized and controlled a branch of the party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZBiH). By the latter part of 1991, more extreme elements of the HDZBiH, under the leadership of Mate Boban, Dario Kordić and others, with the support of Franjo Tuđman and Gojko Šušak, took effective control of the party.

On 18 November 1991, the extreme elements of the HDZBiH, led by Mate Boban and Dario Kordić later convicted by ICTY of war crimes, proclaimed the existence of the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, as a separate "political, cultural, economic and territorial whole," on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because of ethnic cleansing of non-Croat population and crimes against humanity as well as war crimes committed by the Croatian authorities on Bosniak civilians, HDZ had much of influence in municipalities claimed by Herzeg-Bosnia.

Following Herzeg-Bosnia's establishment in November 1991, and especially from May 1992 forward, the Herzeg-Bosnia leadership engaged in continuing and co-ordinated efforts to dominate and "Croatise" (or ethnically cleanse) the municipalities which they claimed were part of Herzeg-Bosnia, with increasing persecution and discrimination directed against the non-Croat (particularly Bosniak) population. The Croatian Defence Council (HVO), the military formation of Croats, took control of many municipal governments and services, removing or marginalising local Bosniak leaders. Herzeg-Bosnia authorities and Croat military forces took control of the media and imposed Croatian ideas and propaganda. Croatian symbols and currency were introduced, and Croatian curricula and the Croatian language were introduced in schools. Many Bosniaks and Serbs were removed from positions in government and private business; humanitarian aid was managed and distributed to the Bosniaks' and Serbs' disadvantage; and Bosniaks in general were increasingly harassed. Many of them were deported into concentration camps: Heliodrom, Dretelj, Gabela, Vojno and Šunje.

The local HDZ leadership was also included in Geneva peace talks which intended to divide Bosnia and Herzegovina in three ethnic republics; this was not accepted by Bosnian side and on 28 August 1993, the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia declared itself the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia. (This entity, whether as the "Community" or "Republic," is referenced hereafter as 'Herceg-Bosna' ) Neither the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina nor the international community ever recognised Herzeg-Bosnia as a State. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared Herzeg-Bosnia illegal, first on or about 14 September 1992 and again on 20 January 1994.

The 'Herceg-Bosna' leadership (Jadranko Prlić, Bruno Stojić, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petković, Valentin Ćorić and Berislav Pušić) are on trial at the ICTY on charges including Crimes Against Humanity, Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions and Violations of the Laws or Customs of War.

According to IWPR, transcripts from secret conversations between Franjo Tudjman and Herceg-Bosna leadership show that there was a clear intention to completely break-up Bosnia-Herzegovina, and divide the territory with Serbia.

Current situation

Recently there has been an initiative to restore Herzeg-Bosnia by creating a new third entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was started in 2005 under the leadership of Ivo Miro Jovic, as he said "I don't mean to reproach Bosnian Serbs, but if they have a Serb republic, then we should also create a Croat republic and Bosniak (Muslim) republic". The current representative of the Croats on the federal Bosnian Presidency (Zeljko Komsic), is not promoting this, but nonetheless there are some Croat politicians who advocates the establishment of a third (Croatian) entity.

Dragan Covic, president of one of the main Croatian parties in Bosnia, Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that "..all Croatian parties will propose that Bosnia be divided into three ethnic entities, with Sarajevo as a separate district. Croatian politicians must be the initiators of a new constitution which would guarantee Croats the same rights as to other constituent peoples. Every federal unit would have its legislative, executive and judiciary organs”. He also pointed out that the two-entities system is untenable that that Croats have been subject to assimilation and deprived of basic rights in the federation with Bosniaks.