WHERE HAVE ALL THE BOSHNIAKS GONE?!

Zagreb Sep 26, 1995

Croatia vs. Bosnia - Misunderstanding between "Natural Allies"

AIM, Sarajevo, September 20, 1995 Croat President Dr Franjo Tudjman and the B&H leader Alija Izetbegovic - it seems to have practically become regular with them - met again this week in Zagreb. This get-together of the so-called natural allies, however, caused enormous attention, but after Tudjman's spokeswoman had read the statement signed, apart from the two mentioned leaders, by Kresimir Zubak President of the Federation - it became obvious that nothing much had actually happened that day at the Presidential Residence. In fact, the moment when their joint forces - Army of B&H and the Croat Defence Council (HVO) assisted by the Croat Army - are practically by the hour changing the map of the Contact Group, is perhaps not the right time for historical agreements. Finally, both parties agreed that the Split agreement which had enabled the great turn at the battlefield, should continue to be the platform for further cooperation.

One of the conclusions which demands further explanation (which was denied the journalists on this occasion) is certainly the one which stresses that representatives of the Croat and the Boshniak people have agreed that without delay they should proceed with integration of functions of the Republic and the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina?! The issue at stake is indeed the direction the integration should proceed in, or perhaps what will be integrated into what? The Boshniak party probably believes that this is self-understood, and the Croat party supported by Zagreb - thinks the same.

The problem is, though, and it can easily be illustrated by numerous former disagreements concerning this issue, that what was mentioned as "self-understood" by the two parties is turned in two opposite directions. Zubak of course, is in favour of the Federation being so to speak the legal subject, and Izetbegovic advocates the same but in favour of the Republic. Probably that is why this Zagreb conclusion was left without further interpretation.

Both parties - while their armies are so successful - certainly do not wish to deepen the political conflict between them which may have disastrous implications in the battlefield. Nevertheless, both Sarajevo and Zagreb, but certainly Mostar as well, will have to clarify and explain the so far unclarified issues to their own citizens - which had given them almost unanimous support at the elections.

After all the agreements he had signed, Alija Izetbegovic will have a very bad time explaining. Namely, in March 1992, the President of B&H Presidency had on the Lisbon table an offer according to which the Muslims would have had 42 per cent of territories which was proportionate to the number of inhabitants. Izetbegovic had practically agreed to that plan, and then just a few days later in Sarajevo, rejected it completely. The Lisbon plan implied tripartite division of B&H, but does the latest American plan, regardless of its verbal persisting on integral Bosnia within its internationally recognized borders, offer anything else? The only difference (!) lies in the fact that in the meantime, the Boshniaks have travelled down a terrible road from Lisbon to Washington soaked with their own blood.

When there are speculations about division of Bosnia which is persistently marked by Izetbegovic as the price of peace, it would be interesting to know whether the B&H President asked his Croat colleague and ally when did he intend to take down the Croat flags in Glamoc, Bosansko Grahovo, Drvar, Jajce... or perhaps that too would be out of place since it is a part of some internal joint plan, agreement, bargain... Are Croat flags in Bosnian towns an additional price of peace, or of an alliance Sarajevo has agreed to due to strong American pressure, after everything that has been happening between the Croats and the Boshniaks in the course of this war? Namely, the latest war successes have given the Croat media back their days of glory of their TV "star", Smiljko Sagolj, so that the newspapers are full of "Croat Drvar", "Croat Glamoc", and "Croat Jajce". By the way, not long ago that same old Jajce was insufficiently "Croat" so HVO had deserted it and left it to Karadzic without resistance, while the Army of B&H insisted on defending it, but - had nothing to defend it with.

Representatives of Croat official policy still do not comment on liberated territories in B&H publicly as "historic Croat space" which would sound as an echo of Gazimestan to any sensible ear. But, in the famous Croat train of freedom from Zagreb to Split via Knin, in a relaxed champagne atmosphere, Dr Tudjman, nevertheless, said that Croatia had the form of a croissant now, but that it had no intention of remaining that way for long! This caused an adequate attention only of the Croat opposition leader Budisa who is persistently demanding interpretation now. It seems it is quite clear which side of the croissant would be stuffed. Similarity between Knin and Jajce "historic fortresses" is unquestionable for Zagreb - almost the same flag waves on both! A the Croat President is obviously increasingly manifesting his nature of a general (a soldier's blood is obviously thicker than water), so that cards in this game might be disclosed very soon.

As concerning his Herzeg-Bosnian errand-boys, they have hardly ever hidden their cards, so that their already scheduled assembly in Jajce has not come as much of a surprise. But, it seems that they should not be criticized too severely, because according to most of ethnic maps of division

  • even the current one of the Contact Group - Jajce would belong to them. And the President of B&H Presidency, Alija Izetbegovic himself has signed this.

And while the official Zagreb is still quite reserved concerning the "historical Croat space", in the neighbouring federal state various proposals and maps about division of B&H are appearing in the media. Croat Homeland Party, in addition to a series of imperative proposals, demands that parts of Bosnia immediately be annexed to Croatia - along the line connecting River Vrbas, Banja Luka, Jajce, Travnik, Bugojno, Prozor, Konjic, Stolac and Bileca, which is the "Croat geopolitical minimum". Although this party could be denied any major significance, the very fact that this is such a topical issue in Croatia at the very moment Zagreb is getting ready to welcome Izetbegovic and discuss once again the "natural alliance" is indicative as it is.

All at once, after the progress of HVO and the Army of B&H, another stumbling block has appeared in front of the allies even before the task is accomplished - should they by any chance conquer Banja Luka, whose will it be? Croat officials are repeating for a few days already that it is just a matter of days when they would enter this city, by now the formerly the most powerful stronghold of Karadzic's. At the same time, general Alagic, commander of the Seventh Corps of the Army of B&H promises that he will have a muster of troops in Banja Luka. Will there perhaps be two flags hoisted there?

Finally, the latest meeting of Izetbegovic and Tudjman (with due respect to Zubak, but after all he did go to Zagreb just to hear his own opinion) resulted in another misunderstanding between "natural allies", Namely, just a day after their friendly chat, as soon as he landed in London, Izetbegovic sat down to write a letter to his Zagreb host. But, not to thank him for the hospitality, but to protest because - as the B&H leader was informed by representatives of the Boshniak people in Croatia - not a single seat in the Croat Assembly was planned for the Boshniak ethnic minority, as opposed to the Serbs, Italians, Hungarians, Czecks, Russians...

According to the 1991 census, the Boshniaks were the second largest ethnic minority in Croatia. As the Serbs have started leaving Croatia in large numbers ever since action "Flash", and especially after action "Storm" - the Boshniak ethnic minority which has on the contrary shown the tendency of immigration into Croatia in the past few years, at the very next census which is planned for spring next year, could exceed the Croat Serbs in number. Even without it, it is constantly persisted, these are two nations which are allies fighting side by side. Have the authors of the Draft Law on Election Units for the Chamber of Representatives by any chance simply "misplaced" the Boshniaks somewhere?!

JOSIP VRICKO