The Intra-Bosnian Muslim War (Serbo-Croatian: Unutarmuslimanski rat) was a civil war fought between the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina loyal to central government of Alija Izetbegović in Sarajevo and the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia loyal to Fikret Abdić in Velika Kladuša from 1993 to 1995. The war ended in victory of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the abolishment of Western Bosnia.
| Intra-Bosnian Muslim War in Western Bosnia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Bosnian War | |||||||||
 Map of the Bihać enclave (under the control of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian government), surrounded by the Republic of Serbian Krajina (in the northwest), the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (to the north) and the Republika Srpska (to the southeast) | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Autonomous Province of Western BosniaSupported by:  Republika Srpska (November 1994–March 1995) Republic of Serbian Krajina (from November 1994) |
 Republic of Bosnia and HerzegovinaSupported by:  Croatia (from August 1995) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Fikret Abdić Zlatko Jušić Hasib Hodžić Zumret Brkić Ratko Mladić (only during Spider 94) Milan Martić (from November 1994) |
Alija Izetbegović Ramiz Dreković Atif Dudaković Jasmin Kulenović † Izet Nanić †[2][3][4] Nijaz Miljković | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
 NOZB VRS (November 1994–March 1995) SVK (from November 1994) |
 HV (August 1995) | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
NOZB: 5,000 VRS: 1,500 (November 1994–March 1995)RSK: 3,000[5](from November 1994) |
ARBiH: 10,000[6]HV: 10,000 (August 1995)[7] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
558 killed[8] 121+ killed 202+ wounded 4+ injured[9][10][11] |
1,672 killed[10] 2,638 seriously wounded 3,981 slightly wounded[12] | ||||||||
Background
editThe Cazinska Krajina region located in the far northwestern section of the wider region of Bosanska Krajina enjoyed somewhat higher GDP per capita compared to the average of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[13] The region is populated mostly by Bosnian Muslims and includes the municipalities of Bihać, Cazin and Velika Kladuša. On its north and west, it borders Croatia and is cut off from the rest of the Bosnian Muslim population in the south and east by the densely populated Serb and Croat areas.[14] Fikret Abdić established a local agricultural company Agrokomerc based in Velika Kladuša and during the 1970s and 1980s managed to transform Cazinska Krajina into a successful regional economy, previously a poor peasant area. Agrokomerc became the largest food-processing conglomerate in Yugoslavia, employing 13,000 people and owning many factories and outlets. The whole town of Velika Kladuša and the surrounding area lived because of Agrokomerc's success. Abdić managed to create a personality cult, being nicknamed "Babo" (English: Daddy).[15]
After a fight for political monopoly, the League of Communists of Yugoslavia lost the election to nationalist parties. In the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbs supported the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), while the Croats supported the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). Bosnian Muslims gathered around the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) led by Alija Izetbegović, a former convict and a member of the Young Muslims, who was a major defendant during the 1983 Sarajevo process. Abdić, a former member of the League of Communists, joined the SDA as one of its leaders.[16] In the 1990 election for the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Abdić won 200,000 votes more than Izetbegović.[17] He and Izetbegović were both elected as representatives of the Muslims in the Presidency, while Ejup Ganić, also a member of the SDA, was elected to the Presidency as a representative for the minorities.[18] Abdić thus emerged as a main threat to Izetbegović's dominance over the SDA and a potential President of the Presidency. The Abdić's line overtaking the SDA also became a possibility. However, Abdić retreated after being isolated by the leaders of the SDA and agreed to be just a Presidency member after opposition from the SDA's hardliners.[17]
The Bosnian War came to Cazinska Krajina in May 1992, with the unsuccessful effort from the Bosnian Serb army to occupy Bihać. Although Cazinska Krajina was constantly surrounded by the Bosnian Serb forces, the fighting deescalated in the early month of 1993, especially after Bihać was proclaimed a safe area in April 1993.[14]
History
editFikret Abdić, the Muslim Member of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the local leader who created an economic empire around Agrokomerc, declared the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia on 27 September 1993 in Velika Kladuša. The AP Western Bosnia operated as a mini-state, with a prime minister and a parliament.[14] The Bosnian Muslims from Bihać opposed the autonomy and remained loyal to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time when the Bosnian Muslims were in an open war with the Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats, Fikret Abdić signed a pact of cooperation with the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska in October 1993 and an agreement on the development of political cooperation with Republika Srpska and the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia in November 1993. Abdić enjoyed strong local support.[19] The 521st and 527th brigades of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Velika Kladuša defected and joined Abdić.[20]
The Bosnian Muslims who remained loyal to Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina were led by Atif Dudaković, the commander of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cazinska Krajina was split between Abdić and Dudaković, with Velika Kladuša and Cazin siding with Abdić and Bihać with Dudaković. By January 1994, most of the territory of Cazinska Krajina was under the control of the 5th Corps. The same month Dudaković signed a ceasefire with Abdić. However, the ceasefire was broken on 18 February 1994 when Abdić started an offensive against the 5th Corps. The fighting lasted till the summer of 1994, and by the end of the conflict, 30,000 of Abdić's forces were fleeing towards neighbouring Croatia. Although the 5th Corps attained several victories, in December 1994, Velika Kladuša was once again under Abdić's control. The 5th Corps managed to break through Serb lines around Bihać, and strengthen with the Bosnian Muslim-Croat Washington Agreement of 1994. In 1995 in Operation Storm, 5th Corps managed to achieve decisive victories against Abdić's army.[19]
Footnotes
edit- ^ Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis. 2002. p. 374. ISBN 978-0-16-066472-4.
- ^ Wakchoi (2021-12-16). "Who was Izet Nanić?". The Cyber Bedouin. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
- ^ "Birthday of the Hero (In Bosnian)". stav.ba. STAV. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "Heroj Oslobodilačkog Rata – Izet Nanić". heroji.ba. Archived from the original on 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
- ^ Michael R. Gordon (30 November 1994). "Conflict in the Balkans: Croats Warn of Wider War if Bihać Falls". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
- ^ Tom Hundley (30 July 1995). "Croatia, Serbia Face Off at Bihac". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- ^ "Escalation Feared As Croats Advance". Orlando Sentinel. 29 July 1995. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- ^ Tokača 2012, p. 160.
- ^ Sekulić 2000, p. 97.
- ^ a b Sekulić 2000, p. 161.
- ^ Sekulić 2000, p. 253.
- ^ Felić 2002, p. 647.
- ^ Fotini 2008, p. 463.
- ^ a b c Fotini 2008, p. 467.
- ^ Fotini 2008, pp. 469–470.
- ^ Lučić 2005, pp. 159–161.
- ^ a b Martins Branco 2009, p. 28.
- ^ Lučić 2005, p. 161.
- ^ a b Fotini 2008, p. 468.
- ^ Fotini 2008, p. 469.
Bibliography
edit- Felić, Bejdo (2002). Peti korpus: (1992-1995.). Sarajevo: Ljiljan. ISBN 9958-22-098-9.
- Fotini, Christia (2008). "Following the Money: Muslim versus Muslim in Bosnia's Civil War". Comparative Politics. 40 (4): 461–480. doi:10.5129/001041508X12911362383390. JSTOR 20434096. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- Lučić, Ivica (2005). "Evolution and Condition of the Elites in Bosnia-Herzegovina – A Personal View". National Security and the Future. 3–4 (6): 151–174. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- Martins Branco, Carlos Manuel (2009). "The Muslim National Question in Bosnia. An Historical Overview and an Analytical Reappraisal". Revista Militar (2488): 567–0. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- Tokača, Mirsad (2012). Bosanska knjiga mrtvih I: ljudski gubici u Bosni i Hercegovini 1991-1995. Sarajevo: Istraživačko dokumentacioni centar. ISBN 978-9958-9544-5-0.
- Sekulić, Milisav (2000). Knin je pao u Beogradu [Knin Fell in Belgrade] (in Serbian). Nidda Verlag. UDK: 3 355.45 (497.5-074) "1991/1995".