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VARES

 

According to the official results of the 1991 census, the Vares district had 22,114 residents:

8,982 Croats (40,6%)
6,721 Moslems (30,4%)
3,630 Serbs (16,4%)
2,781 others (12,6%)

During the Serbian aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992) the district area was attacked on May 31st 1992, and a section of the district area around the village of Brgule was occupied. In April and May 1993, the tensions arose between Croats and Moslems. Those tensions escalated around June 10th 1993 when the B-H Army soldiers attacked the Croat residents of the neighbouring district of Kakanj. In only two days more than 10,000 Croat refugees from Kakanj arrived in the Vares district.

On October 18th 1993, B-H Army soldiers launched an attack on the Vares district area from the directions of Zenica and Kakanj, during which time they stormed Lijesnica, an important strategic position.

On October 19th 1993, B-H Army soldiers attacked the Croat populated village of Kopjari from two directions, and killed six Croat civilians.

On October 23rd 1993, the strong forces of B-H Army (the 2nd Tuzla Corps, the 3rd Zenica Corps, the 6th Visoko Corps and the so-called Vikic's special unit from Sarajevo launched an offensive in the district area. The offensive lasted until November 2nd 1993 when they moved beyond the defence line at Perun, for the first time, and made HVO soldiers and the Croatian civilian residents to evacuate.

During the Serb attacks sixty-six Croat civilians were killed, many of them were massacred and some were burnt down. Upon entering the town of Vares, B-H Army soldiers killed another seventeen Croat civilians. Out of 600 Croat civilians who remained in the town many were imprisoned in the former secondary school in Vares. After the occupation of a section of the district area (this district being previously occupied by the Serb forces) B-H Army soldiers looted and destroyed the Croat civilian property.


012 B-H - VARES - November 1, 1993

DESCRIPTION OF REPORTED CRIME: Attack on civilians and civilian property; eviction of civilians.


TIME AND LOCATION: November 1st to November 5th, 1993; Vares district.


SUMMARY OF REPORTED CRIME: "... Taking advantage of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO - B-H Croat Army) units' engagement in the evacuation of over 6,000 evicted Croat residents of Kakanj from Vares, the B-H Army (the Muslim Army) launched a general attack on the Vares district, and on the city itself. The Muslim Army attacked exclusively Croat-populated villages, that were in the total enemy encirclement, they interrupted all means of communication, and used civilians as a "live shield". Prior to that they had confiscated a large amount of humanitarian aid..."

The consequences of the B-H Army (the Muslim Army) general attack on the Vares district were severe. Over 10,000 autochthonous Croat inhabitants of the Vares district were evicted, along with some 10,000 Croat residents of Kakanj. It is rightly believed that the B-H Army soldiers (Muslim soldiers) have killed a large number of Croat civilians.

PERPETRATORS: B-H Army soldiers (the Muslim Army).

EVIDENCE: Report of the Department for Human Rights and Humanitarian Problems at the Office of the President of the Croat Republic Herzeg-Bosnia.


   
 
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