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Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1995–1998)

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Not to be confused withSAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia
  • Источна Славонија, Барања и Западни Срем(sr-cyr)
    Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srem(sr-lat)
    Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srijem(hr)
1995–1998
(UN governed territory1996–1998)
Coat of arms
Anthem:Боже правде
Bože pravde
(English:"God of Justice")
Location of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia
Location of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia
StatusSelf-proclaimed entity/United Nations governed territory
CapitalVukovar
GovernmentRepublic
Chairman of the Executive Council
• 1995–1996
Borislav Držajić
• 1996–1997
Vojislav Stanimirović
President
• 1995–1996
Slavko Dokmanović
• 1996–1998
Goran Hadžić
Historical eraBreakup of Yugoslavia
August 1995
12 November 1995
•UNTAESadministration
15 January 1996
6 April 1997
• Reintegration into Croatia completed
15 January 1998
Area
• Total
2,600 km2(1,000 sq mi)[1]
Population
•1991[2]estimate
193,513[2]
CurrencyYugoslav dinarde facto
Deutsche Markde facto
Croatian kuna
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Republic of Serbian Krajina
UNTAES
Croatia

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia(Serbian:Источна Славонија, Барања и Западни Срем,romanized:Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srem;Croatian:Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srijem), commonly abbreviated asEastern Slavonia(Serbian:Источна Славонија,romanized:Istočna Slavonija;Croatian:Istočna Slavonija), was a short-livedSerbparallel entity in the territory ofCroatiaalong theDanuberiver.

The entity encompassed the same territory as theSAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia,which was formed in 1991, and was anexclavehad been merged into the self-proclaimedRepublic of Serbian Krajina.When the latter entity was defeated at the end of theCroatian War of Independencein 1995, the territory of Eastern Slavonia remained in place for another three years in which it experienced significant changes ultimately leading to peaceful reintegration via theUnited Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium(UNTAES).

In the period between August 1995 and January 1996, the region functioned as arump territoryof the Republic of Serbian Krajina. The period was marked by increased insecurity and expectation of the Croatian military offensive. A diplomatic solution that avoided the conflict in Eastern Slavonia was reached on 12 November 1995[3]via the signing of theErdut Agreementwith significant support and facilitation from theinternational community(primarily theUnited States,[4]theUnited Nations,[5]and variousEuropeanactors).[6]

As the result of the fact that the UNTAES became the effective government of the region, from January 1996 onwards local parallel institutions of the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia started functioning primarily as theconsociationalrepresentative institutions of the Serb community in the region. As such, they were acknowledged and involved in elaborate power-sharing initiatives by the UNTAES, yet they were gradually abolished as the local Serb community got exponentially more integrated and involved inpower-sharingin regular mainstream institutions of the Croatian state/society. At the same time, Croat and otherrefugeesfrom the region and Croatian institutions gradually returned to the region. Croatian state officials were welcomed to the region by the UNTAES administration including at the time of the first visit by thePresident of CroatiaFranjo Tuđmanin late 1996 when the head of the UNTAESJacques Paul Kleinorganized a meeting between Croat and Serb delegation at the UNTAES headquarters inVukovar.[7]

With the abolition of the parallel Serb bodies of the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia, the local Serb community began to exercise its right to establish regular institutions and bodies of cultural self-government. The main one of them was theJoint Council of Municipalities,an elected consultativesui generisinter-municipal body created to advocate for the interests of theSerb communityin the region.[8]This process was consequential for the rest of Croatia as well as it enabled the creation of other statewide bodies such as theSerb National Council.International community remained present in the region primarily inobserverscapacity via theUnited Nations Civilian Police Support Group(16 January 1998–15 October 1998) andOSCE Mission to Croatia(1996–2007).

History[edit]

Origins[edit]

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Syrmia was formed out of the only part of the rebelRepublic of Serbian Krajinathat was not overrun byCroatian governmentforces in August 1995. AfterOperation Stormin August 1995, by which the majority of the Republic of Serbian Krajina was restored to Croatian control, Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia became ade factoself-governing territory. Immediately upon completion ofOperation Storm,U.S. PresidentBill Clinton,within the framework of an initiative to end the war in Bosnia, said that:[9]

"There must be a long-term plan for a sustainable solution to the situation in Eastern Slavonia... based on Croatian sovereignty and the principles outlined in the Z-4 plan."

— Bill Clinton

Croatia in this period hesitated between a diplomatic or military solution, but due to strong pressure from the international community, the possibility of military intervention was rejected.[10]In November 1995, local Serb leaders signed theErdut Agreement,by which the eventual re-integration of this region into Croatia was agreed-upon.[10]The Erdut agreement was reached as part of negotiations at theDayton Agreementconference. Nevertheless, the Croatian negotiating team rejected theZ-4 planproposed by Bill Clinton as a basis for negotiations.[10]

Erdut Agreement and establishment of UNTAES[edit]

Main articles:Erdut AgreementandUnited Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium
UNTAEStable inIlok

By theErdut Agreement,Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was replaced by theUnited Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmiumon 15 January 1996. The goal of the UNTAES mission was the creation of a transitional period during which the UNTAES peacekeepers would oversee a peaceful reintegration of the territory into Croatia. During the 1995–1998 period, the territory was called "Danube Krajina" (PodunavskaKrajina) bySerbs,and "Croatian Danube" or "Croatian Podunavlje" (Hrvatsko Podunavlje) byCroats.The name often used for it between 1995 and 1998 was Syrmia-Baranja Oblast. Sometimes, the shortened name Eastern Slavonia was also used as a designation for this region.[10]

Within the framework of reintegration in 1996 and under pressure from the international community, an abolition decision was passed for those who participated in rebellion.[10]One of the main tasks for the new United Nations mission was to create conditions for the return ofCroatswho were expelled during the war in this region. They also sought to avoid a new wave of emigration of the ethnic Serb community to Serbia that was seen afterOperation Storm.

In 1996, all the towns and municipalities in the region were designatedAreas of Special State Concernby the Croatian government. In 1998, the UNTAES mission was completed and the territory was formally integrated into Croatia.

Local authorities until the end of reintegration[edit]

Goran Hadžić,the second president of Eastern Slavonia

AfterOperation Flash,representatives ofRepublika SrpskaandRepublic of Serbian Krajinaannounced that they would implement unification of these two entities.[11]In response to this, local Serb leaders in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia founded a body called theCoordinating Committeethat opposed unification, arguing that it would just deepen the crisis and damage Belgrade's intentions to achieve peace in Bosnia.[11]Authorities of the RSK inKnindeclared the goal of theCoordinating Committeeto be thesecessionof Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia from Republic of Serbian Krajina, claiming that there is now no power in Knin, but instead in Belgrade.[11]This statement became a reality onceOperation Stormwas completed because western parts of Republic of Serbian Krajina no longer existed. During the Croatian military actions Flash and Storm on western parts of Krajina, the army in Eastern Slavonia did not act against theCroatian Army.[11]However, local Serbs representatives strongly condemned the actions of the Croatian Army. After these events, and institution was established that was called theNational Council Syrmia-Baranja Oblastand the region's name was changed toSyrmia-Baranja Oblast.[11]Since the region was keen to maintain continuity with the Republic of Serbian Krajina for future negotiations, the region also established theNational Council of Republic of Serbian Krajina of Syrmia-Baranja Oblast.[11]In 1996 inIlok,there was a proposal to abolish the District Assembly because there were no conditions for its work, but this proposal was rejected.[11]The District Assembly was a body with 50 members elected in elections. In 1997 in Vukovar, theIndependent Democratic Serb Partywas established.[12]That same year, theJoint Council of Municipalitieswas founded, and by the end of reintegration, all the other entities were abolished and replaced by Croatian institutions.[8]

Local Serb population and Serbs from other parts of Croatia[edit]

The local Serb population did not regard the plans to reunite the region with Croatia with approval. At the end of June 1996, NGOs in the region organized a petition that asked that the region remain a special area with independent executive, legislative and judiciary. The petition was signed by 50,000 residents of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.[11]The petition was then sent to theUnited Nations.[11]In 1997 in Vukovar, protests were organized in which the local population called for the establishment of autonomous Serbian institutions after the completion of reintegration. The protests gathered between 5,000 and 12,000 participants. At the protests, protesters expressed opposition to the partition of the region in two Croatian counties (Vukovar-Syrmia CountyandOsijek-Baranja). That question was posed in the1997 Eastern Slavonia integrity referendumin which, according to the Electoral Commission, the voter turnout was 77.40%. Reportedly 99.01% or 99.5% of voters voted for the integrity of the region within Croatia.[13]Nonetheless, it did not prevent the decision and the region was divided. Representatives of United Nations missions in the region said that the referendum was irrelevant because such an option was never considered.[14]

Croats from the region[edit]

Identity documents of Croatian refugee from region

The majority of ethnic Croats from Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia were expelled from the region in conflicts in the early nineties. The persecution of 150 locals ofĆelijein the village ofTrpinjamunicipality in July 1991 was the first mass exodus of the population in the Croatian War.[1]Although one of the tasks of the first United Nations missionUNPROFORwas to create conditions for the return of refugees, little had been done on that issue before signingErdut Agreement.This prompted refugees to organize themselves in new communities in Croatia. These refugees from the region that are now living in Croatia organized regional clubs, refugee organizations and exhibitions.[10]In addition, newspapers and other publications were published in other parts of Croatia, which included Vukovarske Novine, HrvatskiTovarnik,Iločkilist, Lovaski list, Baranjske novine, Vukovarac and ZovSrijema.[10]There also were organized protests againstUNPROFORand blockades of official UNPROFOR crossings between region and Croatia.[10]By the end of UNTAES mandate, only two Catholic churches in region still were in regular function.[15]

Events after the completion of reintegration[edit]

Upon the completion of the reintegration of the region and UNTAES departure the newUnited Nations Civilian Police Support Group(UNPSG) was deployed to the region from 16 January 1998 to 15 October 1998.[16]Up until 2007 theOSCE Mission to Croatiaremained active in the country with a focus on the region which was under the UNTAES control. The mission provided the Police Monitoring Group for the region in the 1998-2000 period.[17]TheJoint Council of Municipalitieswas established as one of the central institutions in the region yet it was in no way legally linked as a successor to the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia. In the former administrative centre and the largest town ofVukovar,theconsulate general of the Republic of Serbiawas opened in 1998. A large number of Serbian minority institutions in the area were established or continued to work, such as theEparchy of Osječko polje and Baranja,Radio Borovo,theAssociation for Serbian language and literature in the Republic of Croatia,theIndependent Democratic Serb Party,and others.CroatiaandSerbiastill have open border disputes in this area around the two islands on theDanube– theIsland of Vukovarand theIsland of Šarengrad.

Geography[edit]

The territory of former Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia is part of the Central EuropeanPannonian Basin.The eastern border of the region was mostly theDanuberiver, while approximately one third of the western border was theDravariver. TheKopački ritnatural preserve was located near the confluence of Drava and Danube, and it formed a major geographical barrier – there were no road or rail connections between Baranja and the southern parts of the territory, except through Serbia.

Other boundaries were not natural boundaries: the border withHungaryin the north had existed since theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes,the eastern border withFR Yugoslaviapartly existed since theKingdom of Slavonia(on the Danube) and was partly set with the formation ofSFR Yugoslavia,while the border with the rest ofCroatiain the west and south was formed after the fronts were settled in the first phase of theCroatian War of Independence.

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia on its territory had 124 settlements, and with its 193,510 inhabitants, it was the largestSerbian Autonomous Oblastby population created on the territory of Croatia.[1]Eastern Slavonia is a mostly flat area, with the best type of soil where agriculture is highly developed, particularly on wheat fields. It also has several forests as well as vineyards. The Đeletovci Oil Fields are located between the villages ofĐeletovci,BanovciandNijemci.

Traffic over theBrotherhood and Unity Highway(today theA3) was interrupted with the formation of the ESBWS. The water transport over theDanuberiver continued unobstructed. TheDravariver was not navigated at the time. The railway line betweenZagrebandBelgradeand the transport betweenBudapestandSarajevowere also closed.

Government[edit]

Presidents of the Coordinating Committee[edit]

Chairmen of the Executive Committee[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toEastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.
  1. ^abcŽivić, Dražen (2003)."Prognano stanovništvo iz hrvatskog Podunavlja i problemi njegovog povratka (1991.-2001.)".Hrvatski Geografski Glasnik.65(1). Zagreb: 63–81.doi:10.21861/HGG.2003.65.01.04.
  2. ^abŽivić, D. (2003)."Prognano stanovništvo iz hrvatskog Podunavlja i problemi njegovog povratka (1991. – 2001.)".Croatian Geographical Bulletin.65(1).
  3. ^Galbraith, Peter (12 October 2006)."Negotiating Peace in Croatia: a personal account of the road to Erdut".In Blitz, Brad K. (ed.).War and Change in the Balkans.Cambridge University Press.pp. 124–131.ISBN0-521-86042-3.
  4. ^"Former U.S. Ambassadors to Croatia - Embassy of the United States".Zagreb, Croatia.28 June 1993. Archived fromthe originalon 17 June 2016.Retrieved1 June2016.
  5. ^Agreement has four signatures: Šarinić, Milanović, Galbraith, and Stoltenberg
  6. ^Lukic, Renéo (2006).La politique étrangère de la Croatie, de son indépendance à nos jours, 1991-2006.Les Presses de l'Université Laval.p. 193.ISBN2763780199.
  7. ^Jadranka Kosor(2020).Premijerka: Zapisci one koja nije htjela biti zapisničarka.Ljevak.ISBN978-953-355-408-2.
  8. ^ab"Erdutski sporazum – Wikizvor"(in Croatian). Hr.wikisource.org.
  9. ^Blitz, Brad K. (12 October 2006).War and Change in the Balkans: Nationalism, Conflict and Cooperation.Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-67773-8.
  10. ^abcdefghBing, Albert (2007)."Put do Erduta-Položaj Hrvatske u međunarodnoj zajednici 1994.-1995. i reintegracija hrvatskog Podunavlja".Scrinia Slavonica.7.Zagreb: Hrvatski institut za povijest: 371–404.
  11. ^abcdefghijklBarić, Nikica (2011)."Srpska oblast Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srijem – od" Oluje "do dovršetka mirne reintegracije hrvatskog Podunavlja (prvi dio)".Scrinia Slavonica.11.Zagreb: Hrvatski institut za povijest: 393–451.Archivedfrom the original on 10 June 2022.Retrieved10 June2022.
  12. ^"Desničarenje je usmjereno na aktualnu vlast, a Srbi su samo povod".portalnovosti.com(in Serbian). 13 March 2015.Retrieved2 July2017.
  13. ^Imogen Bell, ed. (2003).Central and South Eastern Europe 2004: 4th Edition.Europa Publications.p. 182.ISBN1-85743-186-3.
  14. ^Oleh Zwadiuk (9 April 1997)."Croatia: U.S. Urges Participation In Elections".Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.Archivedfrom the original on 22 January 2021.Retrieved10 June2022.
  15. ^Derek Boothby (January–March 2004). "The Political Challenges of Administering Eastern Slavonia".Global Governance.10(1).Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations:37–51.JSTOR27800508.
  16. ^"Police Support Group".United Nations Department of Public Information.Archivedfrom the original on 18 August 2021.Retrieved18 August2021.
  17. ^"The OSCE Mission to the Croatia"(PDF).jus.umu.se.OSCE&Umeå University.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 April 2017.Retrieved26 April2017.

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