This dyad belongs to the conflict Croatia: Serb
Summary of conflict Croatia: Serb
Croatia’s declaration of independence in 1991 sparked fear of a minority status among the Serb population in the eastern part of Croatia. The Croatian Serbs declared autonomy for a ‘Serbian Republic of Krajina’ within Croatia, a move rejected by the Croatian government. Violence erupted and persisted despite several negotiations and ceasefires. After two large Croatian offensives the Croatian Serbs were almost defeated. Intensified negotiations lead to the signing of a peace agreement in 1995.
Background to the conflict
The violent disintegration of Yugoslavia started in 1991. On 25 June this year, the Republic of Croatia declared its independence. This provoked the outbreak of violent conflict in the region. The Croatian leadership and Croatian militias fought a war against the Yugoslavian government and Serb militias whose members resided in Croatia. This conflict came to a temporary end in early 1992, when the warring parties agreed on a ceasefire. The Republic of Croatia ceased to exist in April 1992, as Croatia then was recognised as an independent state. However, the conflict carried on between the new Croatian government and the Serb militias, the latter party being supported by the Yugoslavian government.
In general terms, the matter of dispute between the warring parties concerned the right to the territory populated by the Serbs living in Croatia. This territory was situated along Croatia’s border areas. The sense of a coming conflict between Croats and Serbs had become increasingly obvious in spring 1990, when Franjo Tudjman conducted a nationalistic campaign for greater rights for the Croatian people. Tudjman’s efforts to move Croatia towards independence from Yugoslavia caused concern among the Serb minority, as they feared that they would be treated as second-class citizens. Therefore, the Croatian Serbs declared autonomy for a ‘Serbian Republic of Krajina’ within Croatia. The war broke out as Croatia contested the Serbian claim of this area and continued to regard it as Croatian soil. At the same time, the Yugoslavian government disagreed with Croatia’s secession. The conflict that ensued rapidly became very intense, with several thousands of casualties. On 27 April 1992, Yugoslavia adopted a new constitution, where no official demands on the Republic of Croatia were stated. On 22 May, Croatia was given UN membership. By mid-1992, Franjo Tudjman had thus officially become President of a new independent Croatia.
The Serbian Republic of Krajina and formation of armed groups
The ‘Serbian Republic of Krajina’ consisted of three ‘Serbian Autonomous Regions’; Krajina proper, Eastern Slavonia and Western Slavonia. Milan Babic was the leading figure in Krajina proper and in Western Slavonia, while Goran Hadzic had the authority in Eastern Slavonia. Separate governmental bodies and armies were set up in the autonomous regions. In early 1994, Milan Martic was elected to the post of "President" of the Serbian Republic of Krajina. As mentioned in the previous section, the Serbs in the Serbian Republic of Krajina were local Serbs, who originated from Croatia. These Croatian Serbs were assisted by various independent militias, set up by non-local Serbs originating from Serbia. These Serb irregular forces functioned as paramilitary branches of Serbian political parties. At times, the Croatian Serbs and the Serb militias carried out operations together. For one period, a militia called the ‘Serbian Volunteer Guard’ was effectively the armed force of the autonomous region Eastern Slavonia. However, occasional clashes between these local Serbs and non-local Serbs also took place. On many occasions, it was unclear what force controlled the other.
The Serbian irregulars merged increasingly with the JNA (Yugoslavian National Army) during 1992. At the same time, the Yugoslavian government officially withdrew its support for the Serbian Republic of Krajina this year. Indirect Yugoslav involvement in the conflict continued however in 1992. The distinction between the JNA, the Croatian Serb army and Serbian irregulars was often hard to make. However, while the war for the Croatian Serbs primarily was about self-determination in Krajina, it appeared likely that for the non-local Serb irregulars and for Yugoslavia, the fighting was about annexation of the territory to the Serbian republic. The outright involvement of these two parties waned in the latter years of the conflict, as they were drawn into fighting in Bosnia. All the same, the conflict dynamics in Croatia were still affected by the politics of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who to a great extent exercised the leadership of Yugoslavian government and the Serbian irregulars.
Clashes continues despite ceasefire in 1992
After the ceasefire was agreed on in early 1992, UN peace-keeping troops were deployed in Croatia. This contributed to the fighting being on a less intensive level. Yet, the Serb forces continued to carry out sporadic shelling admist the UN efforts to demilitarise the Serb areas. The Croatian forces responded by launching a series of offensives in Serbian areas, beginning with the shelling of Knin. Three UNPAs (Protected Areas) were set up in Serbian autonomous regions in Croatia. Nevertheless, the Serbian Republic of Krajina managed to maintain the control of military and police functions in the UNPAs. The hostilities between the Croatian Serbs and the Croatian government continued in 1993. Two major outbreaks of fighting occurred. The power balance between the parties changed back and forth with none of them succeeding in attaining the superior position. Throughout the conflict, the UN held continuous negotiations with the warring parties.
Negotiations in 1994 followed by escalation in 1995
In December 1993, an initial ceasefire agreement between the Croatian government and the Serbian Republic of Krajina was negotiated. The ceasefire, even if being unstable, continued in 1994 and was monitored by the UN troops. However, the peace-keeping troops were not successful in disarming the Serb forces.
The parties reinforced their commitment to the ceasefire further in March 1994. In mid-October, a new forum for negotiations was established in Zagreb with the aim of resolving the Krajina question. A proposal was launched, stating that the Serbian Republic of Krajina should be reintegrated into Croatia, but receive extensive autonomy. This proposal was the basis for the discussions that continued throughout 1994 and 1995, with certain interruptions. The Croatian Serbs refused to negotiate with Croatia in periods where the mandate of the UN peace-keeping troops was threatened by the Croatian government. President Tudjman was reluctant to extend the UN presence due to the peace-keeping troops’ failure to take control over the UNPAs. The peace talks were further disrupted as the conflict escalated again in 1995.
On 1-2 May 1995, the Croatian offensive Operation Flash was launched to retake Western Slavonia. Large numbers of the Croatian Serbs fled. The Serbs retaliated with artillery attacks on a number of cities. On 4 August, the Croatian government forces invaded Krajina proper with Operation Storm. The entire enclave was rapidly recaptured, prompting a mass exodus of Serbs. Through these two offensives, the Croatian army defeated the Croatian Serbs at the battle-field. Croatian sovereignty was restored over two of the Serbian Autonomous Regions. In October, heavy clashes were reported in Eastern Slavonia, the last autonomous region held by the Croatian Serbs.
Intensified negotiations and the Erdut agreement
The fighting eventually waned as negotiations intensified. Talks, mediated by US envoy Peter Galbraith and UN representative Thorvald Stoltenberg, were conducted in the Serb-held town of Erdut in Eastern Slavonia. These talks lead to the signing of an agreement of basic principles, which was a preparatory document for a final peace accord. On 1 November 1995, comprehensive peace negotiations for the whole former Yugoslavia began in Dayton, USA. On 12 November, the ‘Erdut agreement’ was concluded on the reintegration of the Serb-held Eastern Slavonia into Croatia. This agreement provided for a two year transitional period, during which authority over the enclave would be invested in an interim administration established by the UN. The area would be demilitarised under supervision of 5000 UN troops (the UNTAES mission) and a joint Serb-Croat police force would be created. The agreement also provided for the safe return of refugees and displaced persons.
The conflict ended thus partly through Serbian defeat, and partly through the signing of a peace agreement. Croatian sovereignty was restored over Western Slavonia and Krajina proper through two Croatian offensives. Also the third Serb Autonomous Region, Eastern Slavonia, was reintegrated into Croatia. However, the Croatian army did not win back this area, but its reintegration into Croatia took place through peaceful negotiations. In January 1998, the UNTAES handed over the control of Eastern Slavonia to the Croatian government.
