SAO Krajina

Not to be confused with SAO Bosanska Krajina.

Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina Srpska autonomna oblast Krajina Српска аутономна област Крајина
1990–1991
Flag
SAO Krajina (eastern purple area) within SR Croatia (red).
Status	Self-government region in SFR Yugoslavia seeking unification with Serbia[1]
Capital	Knin
Government	Provisional government
• President	Milan Martić
Historical era	Breakup of Yugoslavia
• Log Revolution	17 August 1990
• Proclaimed autonomy from the government of Croatia	21 December 1990
• Declared itself the Republic of Serbian Krajina	19 December 1991
Preceded by Succeeded by Socialist Republic of Croatia Republic of Serbian Krajina
Today part of	Croatia

The Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina (Serbo-Croatian: Srpska autonomna oblast Krajina / Српска аутономна област Крајина) or SAO Krajina (САО Крајина) was a self-proclaimed Serb Autonomous Region (oblast) within modern-day Croatia (then a part of Yugoslavia). The territory consisted of majority-Serbian municipalities of the Republic of Croatia that declared autonomy in October 1990. It was formed as the SAO Kninska Krajina (САО Книнска Крајина), but, upon inclusion of additional Serb-populated areas, changed its name simply to SAO Krajina. In 1991 the SAO Krajina declared itself the Republic of Serbian Krajina, and subsequently included the other two Serbian SAOs in Croatia, the SAO Western Slavonia and the SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.

History

In 1990, following Croatian multi-party elections and victory of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), ethnic tensions between Croats and Serbs worsened.[2]

On 17 August 1990, an insurrection began in areas of the Republic of Croatia which were populated significantly by ethnic Serbs.[3] The organizers were armed with illegal weapons supplied by Milan Martić.[3] The revolt was explained by Serbs as the result of them being "terrorized [by Croatian government]" and that they wanted to "[fight for] more cultural, language and education rights". Serbian newspaper "Večernje Novosti" wrote that "2.000.000 Serbs [are] ready to go to Croatia to fight". Western diplomats criticized Serbian media for "inflaming passions" while Croatian President Franjo Tudjman stated that "We knew about the scenario to create confusion in Croatia...".[4]

In anticipation of a declaration of Croatian independence, Croatian Serb leaders created an autonomous region around the city of Knin. The Serbian National Council (SNV) was formed, functioning as a parliament for the region and as the ultimate authority on Croatian Serbs. It organized a successful referendum on autonomy in August.[5][6]

Initially, this region was dubbed the SAO Kninska Krajina in September 1990,[7] but, after joining with the Association of Municipalities of Northern Dalmatia and Lika, it was renamed and proclaimed as SAO Krajina in December 1990.[5] By October, the Serb National Council proclaimed it autonomous.[7] It encompassed Krajina as well as three Northern Dalmatian municipalities with an ethnic Serb majority (Benkovac, Knin and Obrovac).[5] On December 21, 1990, the municipalities of Knin, Benkovac, Vojnić, Obrovac, Gračac, Dvor and Kostajnica all adopted the "Statute of the Serbian Autonomous Region of Krajina".[8]

On February 28, 1991 the SAO Krajina was officially declared.[7] It announced that it planned to separate from Croatia if it moved for independence from Yugoslavia.

The Serb National Council on March 16, 1991 declared Krajina to be independent of Croatia. On May 12, 1991 a referendum was held with over 99 percent of the vote supporting unification with Serbia.[1] On 1 April 1991, it declared that it would secede from Croatia.[9] Afterwards the Krajina assembly declared that "the territory of the SAO Krajina is a constitutive part of the unified territory of the Republic of Serbia".[1]

Conflict soon began between the Krajina Serbs and Croatian authorities. After Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, violence escalated as the Serbs expanded the territory they held with the help of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), eventually to include SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia and SAO Western Slavonia.

On 19 December 1991, the two SAOs through the initiative of Milan Babić (president of SAO Krajina) and Goran Hadžić (president of SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia) were declared as one Serbian state with the name Republic of Serbian Krajina. In February 1992, the authorities declared independence. By that time, Serb-controlled territory included a third of Croatia.[10]

This self-proclaimed SAO Krajina was dissolved after August 5, 1995 when Croatian armed forces reintegrated its territories into Croatia.

See also

• Croatian War of Independence
• Breakup of Yugoslavia
• Republic of Serbian Krajina
• Serbian Autonomous Oblasts
• Kninska Krajina
• SAO Western Slavonia
• SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia
• Socialist Republic of Croatia

References

1. Prosecutor v. Milan Martić Judgement. p. 46. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Accessed 13 September 2009. (On 16 March 1991 another referendum was held which asked "Are you in favour of the SAO Krajina joining the Republic of Serbia and staying in Yugoslavia with Serbia, Montenegro and others who wish to preserve Yugoslavia?". With 99.8% voting in favour, the referendum was approved and the Krajina assembly declared that "the territory of the SAO Krajina is a constitutive part of the unified state territory of the Republic of Serbia".)
2. Lobell, Steven; Mauceri, Philip (2004). Ethnic Conflict and International Politics: Explaining Diffusion and Escalation. Springer. pp. 79–81. ISBN 978-1-40398-141-7.
3. "Case No. IT-03-72-I: The Prosecutor v. Milan Babić" (PDF). International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
4. "Roads Sealed as Yugoslav Unrest Mounts". The New York Times. 19 August 1990.
5. Stjepanović, Dejan (2017). Multiethnic Regionalisms in Southeastern Europe: Statehood Alternatives. Springer. p. 114. ISBN 9781137585851.
6. Maksić, Adis (2017). Ethnic Mobilization, Violence, and the Politics of Affect: The Serb Democratic Party and the Bosnian War. Springer. p. 92. ISBN 9783319482934.
7. Klemencic, Matjaz; Zagar, Mitija (2003). The Former Yugoslavia's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 367. ISBN 9781851095476.
8. "Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts established pursuant to security council resolution 780 (1992), Annex IV - The policy of ethnic cleansing; Prepared by: M. Cherif Bassiouni". United Nations. 28 December 1994. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
9. Chuck Sudetic (2 April 1991). "Rebel Serbs Complicate Rift on Yugoslav Unity". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
10. DeRouen Jr., Karl; Heo, Uk (2007). Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 326. ISBN 9781851099207.

External links

• Yugoslav Wars map

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