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The 'Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia' (Croatian: ''Hrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna'') was an unrecognized entity in present day Bosnia and Herzegovina that existed between 1991 and 1994 as a result of secessionist politics during the Bosnian War. The capital city of Herzeg-Bosnia was Western Mostar. Herzeg-Bosnia ceased to exist in 1994 when it joined the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on signing the Washington Agreement. One of the cantons of Federation still variably uses the name Herzeg-Bosnia Canton. However, this name has been deemed uncostitutional by the Federation Constitutonal Court (partly because Canton 10 does not cover any part of Herzegovina). It is neutrally referred to as Kanton 10 (Canton 10).

Contents

History

Current Situation

Gallery

See also

External links

History

The ruling party in the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), organized and controlled the branch of the party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZBiH). By the latter part of 1991, the 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, had taken 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 Croat 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 (especially 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.
HDZ leadership was also included in Geneva peace talks which intended to divide Bosnia and Herzegovina in three ethnic republics, which 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 ''Herzeg-Bosnia'') 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 Herzeg-Bosnian leadership (Jadranko Prlić, Bruno Stojić, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petković, Valentin Ćorić and Berislav Pušić) is 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.

Current Situation

Recently there has been an initiative to restore Herceg-Bosna by creating a new third Canton in Bosnia & Hercegovina. 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".^[1] The current representative of the Croats(Zeljko Komsic), elected thanks to Bosniak votes, is not promoting this, but nonetheless the current among Croat politicians that is gaining in strength advocates the establishment of the third entity. ^[2]
Dragan Covic, president of the main Croatian party in Bosnia, the Croatian democratic union, 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,” Covic said. “Every federal unit would have its legislative, executive and judiciary organs,” Covic said. He 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 Muslims.^[3]

Gallery

See also

★ Western Bosnia

★ Ethnic maps of Bosnia and Herzegovina

★ Ethnic maps of Bosnian-Herzegovian towns and municipal centers (1991)

★ Croatian percentage in Bosnian-Herzegovian municipalities 1971-1991

★ Presumable Croatian and Muslem percentage in Bosnian-Herzegovian municipalities in 2005

★ Bosnian-Herzegovian demographic changes in 1991-2005 period

External links

★ Herzeg-Bosnia - Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina

★ Text of Washington Agreement

★ Herzeg Bosnia Canton/County

★ war in BiH from Croatian point of view