Agrokomerc

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Agrokomerc was a food company headquartered in Velika Kladuša, Bosnia and Herzegovina with operations extending across the entire area of former Yugoslavia. The company became internationally known in the late 1980s due to a corruption scandal known as the The Agrokomerc Affair^[1]. During the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fikret Abdić, the Chief executive officer of the company, used his wealth and political influence to carve out a mini state of Republic of Western Bosnia

[edit] History

Agrokomerc is located in area what was put in economic blockade by Yugoslav Communist party immediately after WWII. At the time the company was one farm located in just over the border in Croatia. In the seventies with its new president Fikret Abdic, Agrokomerc started to grow by making connection with farmers in surrounding area, building chicken farms and providing jobs for thousands of unemployed people in the region that would have otherwise moved out.

Shortly Agrokomerc become main subject in all aspects of local life. With positive influence on employees and public, as well as with own investments, Agrokomerc made this region in one of most advanced regions in Yugoslavia. With its own resources Agrokomerc built roads in farthest parts of the region, provided water supplies to almost every house in the region, invested in the school system to get high educated employees. By the 80s the company had millions of chickens, thousands of turkeys, thousands of farmed rabbits, Mayonnaise production, Liker production, Chicken, turkey and rabbit meat, salami and luncheon production, Chocolate production, Mushrooms production, own cold and dry storage. With over 13,000 employees, its own trucks for distribution of products, a Bus service for employees and public, huge reputation for quality of products all over Europe and farther Agrokomerc was a force to be reckoned with.

[edit] Republic of Western Bosnia

Main article: Western Bosnia

When the war broke out in the 90s Abdic decided to strike out on his own and created the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian: Autonomna Pokrajina Zapadna Bosna, Аутономна Покрајина Западна Босна) a de facto independent entity that existed in the Western enclave of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1993 and 1995. The capital city of Western Bosnia was Velika Kladuša (located in territory of present day Una-Sana Canton). In 1993 the one time president of the giant Agrokomerc company, Fikret Abdić, decided to carve out a little state for himself and succeeded in recruiting enough followers to make his dreams a reality. Abdić was able to hold power over his mini-state by using cult like propaganda techniques over his followers and Serbian arms and military training.

“	Talking to his autonomist followers was much the same as speaking with cult converts anywhere in the world: a wooden dead-end dialogue hallmarked by the absence of individual rationale and logic.	”
	— Anthony Loyd[2]

[edit] References