| Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia Hrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna |
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| Unrecognized state | |||||
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| The self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia shown in dark blue | |||||
| Capital | Mostar | ||||
| Language(s) | Croatian | ||||
| Government | Republic | ||||
| President | Mate Boban | ||||
| Vice Presidents | Dario Kordić Božo Rajić |
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| Chief Secretary | Ignac Koštroman | ||||
| Historical era | Yugoslav wars | ||||
| - Breakup of Yugoslavia | June 25, 1991 | ||||
| - Established | April 27, 1991 | ||||
| - Proclamation of the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia | November 18, 1991 | ||||
| - Declared illegal by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina | September, 14 1992 | ||||
| - Croat-Bosniak War | October 1992 | ||||
| - Washington Agreement | March 18, 1994 | ||||
| Currency | Croatian dinar | ||||
The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Croatian: Hrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna) was an unrecognised entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina that existed between 1991 and 1994 during the Bosnian war. It was proclaimed on November 18, 1991 under the name Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, and claimed to be a separate or distinct "political, cultural, economic and territorial whole" in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1] The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) concluded that Herzeg-Bosnia was founded with the intention to secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina and unite with Croatia.[2] These aspirations, supported by the Republic of Croatia, were manifest, among other things, by Herzeg-Bosnia's use of Croatian currency and Croatian language and the granting by the Republic of Croatia of Croatian citizenship to Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1] The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia illegal on 14 September 1992.[1] Neither the self-proclaimed Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, nor the later self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia were ever internationally recognised.[1] Herzeg-Bosnia ceased to exist in 1994 when it was joined to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina upon the signing of the Washington Agreement by the authorities of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The official capital city of Herzeg-Bosnia was western Mostar. However, since Mostar was a war zone, the effective control centre was in Grude.
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"Herzeg-Bosnia" is one of the unofficial name variations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Allegedly, the name appeared in late 19th century and at beginning of 20th century.[3] Today it is primarily used as the reference to the parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina that were included in self-proclaimed Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia. Some Croatian historians like Ferdo Šišić used exclusively term "Herceg-Bosna" [3] apart from the politicians from the same era Ante Starčević, Stjepan Radić[4] which used "Bosna i Hercegovina" and sometimes also "Herceg-Bosna".
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 November 18, 1991, the extreme elements of the HDZBiH, led by Boban and Kordić (who was 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. HDZ' influence in municipalities claimed by Herzeg-Bosnia was significant, the ICTY indictment alleges that this was achieved through the use of ethnic cleansing against the non-Croat population and crimes against humanity as well as war crimes committed by the Croatian authorities on Bosniak civilians.[5]
Following Herzeg-Bosnia's establishment in November 1991, and especially from May 1992 forward, the Herzeg-Bosnia leadership engaged in continuing and coordinated 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 Bosniak population.[6] The Croatian Defence Council (HVO), the military formation of Croats, took control of many municipal governments and services, removing or marginalising local Bosniak leaders.[7] Herzeg-Bosnia authorities and Croat military forces took control of the media and imposed Croatian ideas and propaganda.[8] Croatian symbols and currency were introduced, and Croatian curricula and the Croatian language were introduced in schools. Many Bosniaks were removed from positions in government and private business; humanitarian aid was managed and distributed to the Bosniaks' disadvantage; and Bosniaks in general were increasingly harassed.[9][9] Many of them were deported to 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 into 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. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared Herzeg-Bosnia illegal, first on 14 September 1992, and again on 20 January 1994.[10][11]
The 'Herceg-Bosna' leadership Jadranko Prlić, Bruno Stojić, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petković, Valentin Corić, and Berislav Pušić were indicted by the ICTY for being part of a joint criminal enterprise which included mass war crimes against Bosniaks and other non-Croats during the creation of the ethnically pure Croatian quasi-state Herzeg-Bosnia on the territories of internationally recognized state of Bosnia and Herzegovina in an effort to join these areas as part of a Greater Croatia. According to the indictment numerous persons participated in this joint criminal enterprise. Each participant, by his or her acts, omissions, practices or conduct, both individually and in concert with or through other persons, substantially contributed to carrying out the enterprise and accomplishing its purpose. Franjo Tudjman, among others, participated in the joint criminal enterprise.[12]
According to IWPR, transcripts from secret conversations between Franjo Tuđman and Herceg-Bosna leadership show that there was a clear intention to completely break up Bosnia-Herzegovina, and divide the territory with Serbia.[13]
Starting in 2005 there has been an initiative to restore Herzeg-Bosnia by creating a new third entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was started under the leadership of Ivo Miro Jović, 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".[14] The current representative of the Croats on the federal Bosnian Presidency (Željko Komšić) is opposed to this, but nonetheless there are some Croat politicians who advocate the establishment of a third (Croatian) entity.[15]
Dragan Čović, 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 and Herzegovina 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 argued that the two-entities system is untenable and that Croats have been subject to assimilation and deprived of basic rights in the federation with Bosniaks.[16]
Petar Matanović, president of the Croatian National Council, opposed creating a third entity, also claiming that the division of Bosnia into four federal units would lead to a new war. He further said that "we have to establish the state of Bosnia-Herzegovina in accordance with European standards and then regulate entities. It seems to me that this agreement entails an intention to strengthen entities and weaken the country."[17]
Stjepan Mesić, former president of Croatia, has opposed the creation of a third entity, stating that: “if the current division of Bosnia Herzegovina into two entities does not function, it will not function with divisions into three entities”.[18]
In 2009, Miroslav Tuđman the son of Franjo Tuđman, called for the establishment of a Croatian entity.[19][20] According to Čović, “We want to live in Bosnia-Herzegovina where Croats will be equal to the other two peoples according to the Constitution.”[21]
November 18 is celebrated as the holiday in West Herzegovina County as the day of Herzeg-Bosnia foundation .[22] One of the cantons of the Federation used the name "Herzeg-Bosnian Canton", but this name was deemed unconstitutional by the Federation Constitutional Court, and it is officially referred as Canton 10.[23] Memorial plaque in honor of Herzeg Bosnia and Mate Boban was placed in downtown of Grude.
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