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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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