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Special forces


United Nations - Security Council

S/1994/674/Add.2 (Vol. I)
28 December 1994

Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts
established pursuant to
security council resolution 780 (1992)

Annex III.A
Special forces

Under the Direction of:
M. Cherif Bassiouni
Chairman and Rapporteur on the Gathering
and Analysis of the Facts, Commission of Experts
Established Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 780 (1992)

Principal Legal Anaylst:
Mark W. Bennett, IHRLI Staff Attorney

Contributors:
Georgann M. Grabiec, IHRLI Staff Attorney
Diane Silverman, IHRLI Volunteer Analyst
John Stompor, IHRLI Staff Analyst
John Tomasic, IHRLI Staff Analyst
Carson A. Wetzel, IHRLI Staff Attorney
Stacey White, IHRLI Staff Analyst


Annex III.A
Special forces

  1. Introduction
    1. Methodology
    2. Brief military history
    3. Summary analysis
    4. General observations
  2. Major special forces working in support of the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), and the so-called «Bosnian Serb Republic» and «Serb Republic of Krajina»
    1. Introduction
    2. Forces operating in support of BiH - the Green Berets and Mujahedin
      1. The Green Berets
      2. Mujahedin
    3. Paramilitaries operating in support of the Croatian Government
      1. The Croatian Defence Forces (HOS)
      2. Paramilitary forces under the command of Jusuf Prazina, alias «Juka»
    4. Paramilitary forces operating in support of FRY and the self-proclaimed Serb Republic in Croatia and BiH
      1. Scope of military operations
      2. Ties with the Governments of FRY, the self-declared Serbian Republics, and the JNA
      3. Political prominence
      4. Allegations of war crimes
      5. Summary of reported paramilitary activity
      6. Personal histories of Vojislav Seselj and Zeljko Raznjatovic
  3. Other identified paramilitary groups
    1. Paramilitary groups operating in support of the Government of BiH
    2. Paramilitary groups working in support of the Government of Croatia
    3. Paramilitary groups working in support of the Government of Serbia
    4. Paramilitary groups from outside the former Yugoslavia
  4. Analysis of reported paramilitary activity by geographic location
    1. BiH
      1. Banja Luka County
      2. Bihac County
      3. Bijeljina County
      4. Bileca County
      5. Bosanska Krupa County
      6. Bosanska Raca (county unknown)
      7. Bosanski Brod
      8. Bosanski Novi County
      9. Bosanski Samac County
      10. Bratunac County
      11. Brcko County
      12. Cajnice County
      13. Derventa County
      14. Doboj County
      15. Donji Vakuf County
      16. Dragovici (county unknown)
      17. Foca County
      18. Gacko County
      19. Gorazde County
      20. Jablanica County
      21. Kalinovik County
      22. Konjic County
      23. Kupres County
      24. Livno County
      25. Maglaj County
      26. Modrica County
      27. Mostar County
      28. Nevesinje County
      29. Novi Travnik County
      30. Odzak County
      31. Pale County
      32. Prijedor County
      33. Rogatica County
      34. Sanski Most County
      35. Sarajevo County
      36. Srebrenica County
      37. Teslic County
      38. Tomislavgrad County
      39. Travnik County
      40. Tuzla County
      41. Veljina
      42. Visegrad County
      43. Vitez County
      44. Vogosca County
      45. Zenica County
      46. Zvornik County
    2. Croatia
      1. Beli Manastir County
      2. Benkovac County
      3. Daruvar County
      4. Dvor County
      5. Glina County
      6. Gracac County
      7. Grubisno Polje County
      8. Knin County
      9. Krajina
      10. Metkovic County
      11. Nova Gradiska County
      12. Osijek County
      13. Pakrac County
      14. Petrinja County
      15. Podravska Slatina County
      16. Sisak County
      17. Slavonska Pozega County
      18. Split County
      19. Titova Korenica County
      20. Virovitica County
      21. Vukovar County
      22. Zadar County
    3. Serbia
      1. Hrtkovci
      2. Kosovo
      3. Pljevlja
      4. Sandzak
      5. Vojvodina

I. Introduction

       The conflict in the former Yugoslavia has seen the widespread use of paramilitary organizations within the territories of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Republic of Croatia, and to a lesser extent, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). The use of paramilitary organizations by all «warring factions» must be viewed in the context of the breakup of Yugoslavia and the structure of the military before the breakup. *1 In the period of 1989-1991, political ferment indicated that a breakup of Yugoslavia was likely. However, there were no indications as to how the country would be divided. The rise of nationalism and ethnic tension caused Yugoslavs to become concerned for their own safety. This concern over their own self-defence, combined with the rhetoric of nationalist politicians, led many Yugoslavs to arm themselves. Furthermore, uncertainty about the Yugoslav National Army's (JNA) role in post- Communist Yugoslavia led many to conclude that paramilitary organizations were a necessity.

       The creation of paramilitary groups was further fueled by the wide circulation of stories of atrocities committed by all sides. Serbs, for example, were shown pictures allegedly depicting the Mujahedin forces holding the severed heads of Serb soldiers. All sides viewed themselves as victims, not as perpetrators, thereby creating a desire for revenge and providing justification for their own deeds.

       Paramilitary organizations exist in several forms. Some are highly-organized groups and operate in several theatres in conjunction with regular military formations. Others are loosely organized and act alone in a single village or on an ad hoc basis. Some of the groups preceded the conflict, others followed it. Still others were formed as the need arose during the conflict. These groups have been organized by the governments or militaries of the warring factions, by political parties, as well as by local police, political, military or community leaders. The members of these paramilitary organizations have been drawn from the regular army, Territorial Defence forces, local militia and police, local civilians, expatriots, and foreign nationals. According to some reports, the paramilitary organizations also include criminals released from prison solely for the purpose of forming these units.

       For purposes of this report, the paramilitary forces operating in the territory of the former Yugoslavia can be classified into four categories: Special Forces, «Militias», «Paramilitary units», and «police augmented by armed civilians». *2 Special Forces usually operate with substantial autonomy under the command of an identified leader. They operate in several theatres, and sometimes engage in joint operations with the regular militaries. These groups are supplied, and often trained, by the governments they serve. Many of these Special Forces report solely to senior political officials. «Militias» consist of members of the former Territorial Defence Forces. They frequently operate jointly, in the geographic area from which they originate under the command of the regular army. «Paramilitary units» are forces under the command of a local leader. Their area of operation is often confined to the town or village from which the members were drawn, although they may occasionally operate alongside similar groups in other towns or villages. The «police augmented by armed civilians» are forces that operate within a given county *3 under local, sometimes political, leadership. These forces frequently act with autonomy, although they are reported to be under the control of the Ministry of Interior or other political organizations. For purposes of this report, groups from these categories will be referred to generically as paramilitary groups, unless otherwise indicated.

       This report attempts to identify the paramilitary organizations working in support of all three warring factions in the former Yugoslavia. It also discusses how these groups operate in relation to the regular military command of the respective factions. Furthermore, this report discusses the reported activity of these groups.

       This report begins with a discussion of the research methodology, and is followed by a brief discussion of the pre- conflict military defence doctrine of the former Yugoslavia. This doctrine, with its reliance on a decentralized command structure and locally-based weapons caches, provided fertile ground for the creation of paramilitary groups. This discussion is followed by a summary analysis of the data. Section II discusses the activity of six of the most prolific paramilitary organizations: the Green Berets and Mujahedin, working in support of the government of BiH; the HOS and troops under the command of Jusuf Prazina, working in support of the Croatian government; and those groups under the command of Vojislav Seselj and Zeljko Raznjatovic (nom de guerre Arkan), working in support of the government of Serbia and the self-declared Serb Republics. Section III is a listing of the other identified paramilitary organizations containing all reported vital statistics, and Section IV discusses paramilitary activity by geographic location.

A. Methodology

       This report is based on information contained in documents and audio and video tapes received by the Commission of Experts and the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI), as well as on information gathered from searches of the NEXIS and FBIS media databases. All of the organizations referred to in paragraph 4 operated in substitution for, or supplementing, a regular military force.*4 All documents and media reports in the possession of IHRLI were reviewed, and those containing allegations of paramilitary activity were analysed. A large number of these reports referred to paramilitary groups generically (i.e., Serbian paramilitaries or irregular forces). Although these reports were consulted, only those reports referring to a paramilitary organization by name (i.e., Tigers, Yellow Ants), or by specific leaders or group members (i.e., paramilitary forces under Dragan Ikanovic), are included in the statistical data below.

       Information sheets were created for each identified paramilitary organization containing the following information: name of unit, ethnicity, uniform, number of troops, place of origin, area(s) of operation, political affiliation, leader(s), alleged members, source of information, and the alleged activity. These information sheets were then used to compare information on the paramilitary groups in a standardized format.

       This report is limited by the quality and quantity of the documents received by the Commission. In addition, the Commission was not able to verify much of the information that it received. Consequently, this report should not be considered all inclusive, though it is comprehensive. Subsequent investigation may identify additional paramilitary groups and facts that have not yet been discovered that may bear upon the information contained in this report.

B. Brief military history *5

       Stalin's expulsion of Yugoslavia from the Cominform led to fears of a Soviet invasion. These fears resulted in the development of a new military defence doctrine in the former Yugoslavia called «Total National Defence». *6 This doctrine was designed to defeat a Soviet invasion by mobilizing all of the nation's cultural, societal, and military resources. The Communist party apparatus was tightly integrated into the military scheme, with the military structures accommodating a «shadow» chain of command responsible to the Communist party.

       Yugoslav military strategists realized national command, control, and communications facilities were vulnerable. Therefore, they decentralized the system of command and control. The governments of the various republics would participate with the federal government for regional defence.

       This strategy required universal military service and coordinated training in guerilla warfare. This ensured that cadres of soldiers, trained in guerrilla warfare, would be available nationwide and capable of operating in a decentralized command fashion. Training facilities, weapons caches, and supply stores were placed throughout the country. The military also organized reserve units (Territorial Defence Forces) around workplaces to ensure the wide distribution of weapons.

       Thus, with the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, trained soldiers were available for mobilization, and weapons and ammunition were also available for distribution to national and local political or military leaders and their followers. These leaders sometimes used these resources to further their own political, military, or personal goals. This, along with the other factors, led to the proliferation of paramilitaries throughout the republics of the former Yugoslavia.

C. Summary analysis

       This study found that:

  1. There are at least 83 identified paramilitary groups operating in the territories of the former Yugoslavia: 56 are working in support of FRY and the self-declared Serbian Republics; *7 13 are working in support of the Republic of Croatia; and 14 are working in support of BiH;
  2. The number of paramilitary groups, and the size of each group, has varied throughout the course of the conflict. The number and size of the groups rise, for example, when the conflict intensifies. The reports received indicate only a rough approximation of paramilitary troop strength. The number of persons in paramilitary groups fighting in support of BiH range from 4,000 to 6,000; between 12,000 and 20,000 have supported the Republic of Croatia; and between 20,000 and 40,000 paramilitaries have fought on behalf of the self-declared Serb Republics; *8
  3. In addition to the 83 paramilitary groups, there are groups which consist of persons who have been drawn essentially from outside the former Yugoslavia. Three groups specifically mentioned are the Mujahedin (operating with the BiH Army), the Garibaldi Unit (an Italian unit operating alongside the Croats), and Russian Mercenaries (operating in conjunction with the Serbs). There are also general reports of the presence of mercenaries from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States; *9
  4. Paramilitary activity has been reported in 72 separate counties, *10 but the vast majority has occurred in BiH. *11

       The first report of paramilitary activity occurred in April of 1991. However, Arkan and Vojislav Seselj began forming paramilitary organizations as early as 1990. The first reported paramilitary operation involved Seselj's troops in Vukovar County, Croatia. The most active period for Serb paramilitary activity in Croatia was in October of 1991. Those areas reporting the greatest amount of paramilitary activity in Croatia were Knin, Podravska Slatina, and Vukovar.

       There were no reports of paramilitary activity in BiH until early 1992. The first reports concerned paramilitary groups supported by Arkan and Seselj. The activity in BiH was strongest in May and June of 1992 in the areas of Bijeljina, Bratunac, Brcko, Doboj, Foca, Konjic, Modrica, Prijedor, Sarajevo, Visegrad, and Zvornik.

       Paramilitary groups working in support of FRY, or the self- proclaimed Serbian Republics, have operated in the territories of BiH, Croatia, and FRY. Those groups working in support of Croatia were reported to have operated in both BiH and Croatia, while those supporting BiH have not been involved in operations outside BiH territory. *12

       The vast majority of the paramilitaries acted locally, with their operations confined to a single county, or opstina. *13 They operated under the command of a local leader with local command and control. These groups would often coordinate their operations with regular forces or other paramilitaries. *14 The local groups would then take control of the area after it had been secured.

       The most active paramilitary groups operating throughout the area of conflict were the Serb groups under the command of Arkan and Seselj. *15

       Reliance on, or tolerance of, paramilitary and special forces served several purposes for the military and political leaders of the respective republics. It clouded the issue of command and control, reduced the chances of being identified, and therefore permitted the greater use of illegal violence. Many of these groups, for example, did not wear uniforms or other conventional military badges or symbols.

       Involvement of paramilitary groups in the commission of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international humanitarian law is alleged in the vast majority of the reports in which paramilitary groups are mentioned. The most frequently reported violations are the killing of civilians, torture, rape, destruction of property, and looting. *16 There is also a strong correlation between reports of paramilitary activity and reports of rape and sexual assault, detention facilities, and mass graves. These types of activities (i.e., paramilitary activity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions) tended to occur in the same counties *17 and evidence the localized nature of the activity.

       FRY, Croatia, and BiH used paramilitary forces. However, the disproportionate number of paramilitary and special forces of Serbian ethnicity indicates that the Serbs more heavily relied on the use of special forces to accomplish their military and strategic goals. Of 39 counties where Serb paramilitary activity was reported, Serb paramilitary units were operating in conjunction with the JNA in 24 of them. In comparison there were reports for five counties of joint operations between forces operating in support of Croatia, the Croatian Army (HV), and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), *18 and reports for only two counties of joint operations between the Army of BiH and forces operating in support of the Government of BiH.

       The JNA was operating with the highest paramilitary activity in eight counties simultaneously: Bijeljina, Bratunac, Brcko, Doboj, Prijedor, Sarajevo, Visegrad, and Zvornik. Excluding Sarajevo, these counties are within the strategic arc the Serbs need to link all Serbian populations from BiH and Croatia within a contiguous Serbian state.

       There is substantial evidence that Serbian government or military officials have coordinated, or at least have been aware of, the activities of the Serbian paramilitary or special forces:

  1. Serbian paramilitary units operating in Croatia have worn federal army uniforms and used JNA topographical maps; *19
  2. There are reports of Serbian paramilitary groups or special forces entering a county at the invitation of local political leaders. In Prijedor, a Bosnian Serb government spokesman explained their use of Arkan: «He is very expensive, but also very efficient»;
  3. In 36 of the 67 counties in which there were reports of Serbian paramilitary activity, there was a coordination of operations between two or more groups. In comparison, only six of the 17 counties had reported paramilitary activity in support of Croatia and five of the 11 counties had reported paramilitary activity in support of BiH;
  4. Fifteen of the 55 identified groups operated in more than one county, again suggesting a coordination of activity, compared to five Croatian and four working in support of BiH in more than one county.

D. General observations

       While paramilitary groups have links to their respective governments, the nature of these links vary according to which agency furnishes funds, supplies, and military equipment to the group. Thus, Arkan is said to have strong links to Serbia's Ministry of Interior. The HOS in Croatia have links to political figures in that country, and the Green Berets have links to the Presidency of BiH. Control of the paramilitary groups is largely a function of the internal politics of the warring factions.

       Members of ethnic and religious groups, such as Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims residing outside of the territory of the former Yugoslavia, have participated in the conflict as mercenaries. Some members of these groups, as well as persons of other nationalities, have been paid by the «warring faction» which they supported. *20

       In most cases, paramilitary groups have coordinated their activities with the armies of the «warring factions». The groups that have operated with the most independence are the HOS in Croatia and the Mujahedin in BiH. The smaller the group, the greater the tendency to operate outside of the army's control.

       In many counties, Serbian special forces supported the work of local «crisis committees» when local militia or local police were unavailable. This further evidences the localized nature of most paramilitary activity. In some respects, it also reflects the doctrines of guerilla warfare inspired by Tito's World War II experience.

       In BiH, Serb paramilitary activity was at its greatest level in the second half of 1992. During this period, immediately after the JNA was officially withdrawn, there was disorganization and confusion within the regular armed forces of the Bosnian Serb Army. This led to a lack of command and control, and it was during this period that the greatest number of violations by Serb paramilitary groups occurred.

       Serb paramilitary members have been recruited largely from the population of persons between the ages of 18 to 30. This population of young persons is more capable of violence and less susceptible to control than older age cohorts. Paramilitary members have also been recruited from prisons. It has been reported that persons convicted of violent offences were released to fight in BiH. The Army apparently had the first pick from among these offenders. The others served in paramilitary units.

       Most of the paramilitary units sustained themselves through lootings, thefts, ransoms and trafficking in contraband. This is especially true of the groups associated with Arkan, as discussed below.

       The largest number of violations were committed by Serb paramilitary groups fighting in BiH in support of the breakaway Serb Republic. This can be explained, in part, by the following: There are more Serb paramilitary groups than those fighting on behalf of the other warring factions; Serb paramilitary groups have more members than the other groups; Serb paramilitary groups have operated over a wider range of territory, thus they have been in contact with a larger number of potential victims; and the Serbs have pushed a policy of «ethnic cleansing» on a wider scale than the other groups.

II. Major special forces working in support of the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), and the so-called «Bosnian Serb Republic» and «Serb Republic of Krajina»

A. Introduction

       As mentioned earlier, this study identifies 83 separate paramilitary forces operating in the former Yugoslavia. Six of these forces are discussed in greater detail below. These are the Green Berets and Mujahedin operating in support of the government of BiH, the HOS and Juka's Army *21 operating in support of the Republic of Croatia, and the forces under the command of Arkan, *22 and Seselj, *23 operating in support of FRY and the self- declared Serbian Republics in BiH and Croatia. These forces receive special attention because of the scope and significance of their military operations; their direct links to their respective governments and the regular militaries of those governments; the numerous allegations that these forces have committed «grave breaches» of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international humanitarian law; and, in the case of Arkan and Seselj, their political prominence.

B. Forces operating in support of BiH - the Green Berets and Mujahedin

1. The Green Berets

2. Mujahedin

C. Paramilitaries operating in support of the Croatian Government

1. The Croatian Defence Forces (HOS)

2. Paramilitary forces under the command of Jusuf Prazina, alias «Juka»

D. Paramilitary forces operating in support of FRY and the self-proclaimed Serb Republic in Croatia and BiH

1. Scope of military operations

       Seselj's and Arkan's troops were the most active of all the paramilitary groups identified. Seselj's troops were reported to have operated in 34 counties *125 and Arkan's troops in 28 counties throughout BiH, Croatia, and FRY. *126 The vast majority of these counties are located within BiH. These counties lie within the strategic arc the Serbs need to control in order to link all Serbian populations in BiH, Croatia, and Serbia. *127 Once linked, the counties could form a contiguous Serbian state.

       Seselj began organizing and arming his paramilitary forces in late 1990 and early 1991. The first reported activity of his troops was on 1 April 1991, six weeks before Stipe Mesic, a Croatian, was to become president of the collective head of state of the former Yugoslavia. Seselj's operation took place in the Vukovar village of Borovo. His troops were sent to the region to protect local Serbs. They surrounded and attacked two local police patrols, injuring five policemen, one critically. *128 In mid- July, Seselj's Serbian Radical Party (SRS) announced its intention to form volunteer forces in the Krajina region of Croatia. *129 In August 1991, in an interview with Der Spiegel, Seselj said his troops were sent «from Belgrade to the crises areas» in Croatia and BiH. He stated, «If there are 20 to 30 Cetniks in every village, this is sufficient to encourage the people there». *130 Seselj's troops were allegedly involved in the first paramilitary operations in BiH in April 1992.

       Arkan's first reported involvement in the conflict came on 28 November 1990. Arkan was present at a meeting of the «council of war» of the Knin uprising. *131 On the way back from the meeting, Arkan and his three companions were arrested in Dvor na Uni, Croatia. They had several weapons and bombs in their possession. Arkan was tried and convicted, but he was released from prison pending appeal. *132

       It was not until October 1991, however, that Arkan formed the Serbian Volunteer Guard, later renamed the Tigers. *133 Training centres were established in Tenja and Erdut, Croatia. *134

       When fighting began in Croatia, the Tigers were thought to have no more than 200 troops, but their regular strength was said to be only 60. *135 Although Arkan had more recently claimed that his Tigers had as many as 8,000 men, independent military analysts estimated the number to be closer to 500 to 1,000. *136 The Tigers are well-armed with tanks, mortars, sniper guns, AK-47 sub- machine-guns, and Scorpion sub-machine-guns. *137

2. Ties with the Governments of FRY, the self-declared Serbian Republics, and the JNA

3. Political prominence

4. Allegations of war crimes

       The forces of Seselj and Arkan have been accused of committing some of the most serious violations of the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian law. Their operations in Brcko led then United States Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger to identify them as possible war criminals. Accusations that Arkan and Seselj committed atrocities also emerged from within the former Yugoslavia. A month before the fall of Vukovar, in late 1991, an internal JNA memo identified Seselj's and Arkan's forces as dangerous to «military morale» and stated that their «primary motive was not fighting against the enemy but robbery of private property and inhuman treatment of Croatian citizens». *152

       In the 1993 Serbian Parliamentary elections, Milosevic, Seselj and Arkan accused each other of committing war crimes. Milosevic's SPS publicly attacked Seselj, announcing that they considered him to be «the personification of violence and primitivity», that he contributed «to war crimes, abetting war profiteers and criminals», and that he was involved in «crimes committed by paramilitary groups against Moslem, Croat and Serb civilians». *153 Government authorities arrested 40 members of the SRS on charges of murder, rape, kidnapping, and illegal arms possession. *154 Seselj responded by implicating members of the Milosevic government in the paramilitary operations and by claiming that the government was attributing crimes committed by Arkan to him. *155

       In an overwhelming majority of the counties in which Seselj's and Arkan's forces were operating, there are alleged killings of civilians, rapes, looting, destruction of property, and prison camps.

5. Summary of reported paramilitary activity *156

       As mentioned above, Seselj's forces were reported to be operating in 34 counties and Arkan's forces in 28 counties throughout the territory of the former Yugoslavia. In many of these counties, Seselj and Arkan exercised command over other forces operating in the area. These forces consisted of local paramilitary groups, and sometimes the JNA. *157 In some counties, Seselj's and Arkan's forces operated under the command of the JNA. *158 At other times, they operated either independently or in conjunction with other paramilitary groups. The presence of Seselj's and Arkan's forces was sometimes requested by local Serb authorities.

       In the majority of the counties in which Seselj and Arkan were operating, their forces, often in the company of the JNA or other paramilitary forces, would surround the village before entering it. In some instances, Seselj and Arkan would speak to the local Serbs in the village to incite them and the other Serb forces. *159 They would often warn the non-Serb residents before entering the village and request that they surrender their weapons. *160 Because of the reputations of Arkan's and Seselj's forces, these warnings often prompted non-Serb civilians to leave the village.

       Upon entering a village, sometimes under the cover of shelling, particularly in those counties where they were operating simultaneously with the JNA, Seselj's and Arkan's troops would begin their reign of terror. In an overwhelming majority of the counties in which Seselj's and Arkan's troops were operating, there are allegations of killing of civilians, *161 rape, *162 looting, *163 destruction of private or cultural property, *164 and prison camps. *165 In some instances specific individuals were targeted, such as prominent non-Serb leaders or intellectuals. *166

       After securing an area, Seselj's and Arkan's troops would usually turn over control to a local paramilitary group or to local Serb leaders. *167 In some instances, however, members of Arkan's and Seselj's units remained and performed administrative functions. *168

6. Personal histories of Vojislav Seselj and Zeljko Raznjatovic

III. Other identified paramilitary groups *312

A. Paramilitary groups operating in support of the Government of BiH




Name of Unit : Akrepi (Ugljes)
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Konjic County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man from Konjic, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Submission of Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Commission of Experts established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 780 (1992) (2 July 1993), Annex IV, A New Genocide Against Serbs in Konjic Area, Association of Serbs from BiH - Association of Serbs from Konjic, IHRLI Doc. No. 28401- 29019, at 28799.
  • Letter dated 21 October 1993, from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations Addressed to the President of the Security Council, U.N. Doc. S/26617 (23 October 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 45732-45770, at 45763-45764.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Serbian Council Information Centre, the Akrepi killed 11 Serbs and burned 24 houses in the village of Blace on 15 May 1992. *313



Name of Unit : Alija's Army
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Konjic, Sarajevo and Livno Counties, BiH *314
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Second Report Submitted to the Commission of Experts (1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 28401-29019, at 28661.
  • Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Information on the Aggression of the Republic of Croatia (27 November 1992), IHRLI Doc. No. 3103-3156 and No. 5455-5470.
Alleged Activity :
       Alija's Army members, along with Croatian Armed Forces (HOS), Croatian National Guardsmen (ZNG), and members of the Yellow Ants converged on Konjic on 26 April 1992. Upon arrival, the units allegedly established road blocks, set up machine-guns in nearby villages, murdered civilians and looted the villagers' homes. *315



Name of Unit : Black Swans (alias Brigada Zuka, Zuk Brigade or Zuka's Commandos, the Zukini) *316
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniforms : Black clothing with a round unit patch on the sleeves. The patch depicts a black swan having intercourse with a supine woman. «Special Unit Army of BiH» is written in white lettering above the picture and underneath in black letters are the words, «Black Swans».
Number of Troops : At least 100
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Igman, Jablanica, and Konjic Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Three identified people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : Five identified people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons *317
Source(s) :
  • US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 62613, 62629, 62756-62757.
  • Letter dated 21 October 1993, from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations Addressed to the President of the Security Council, U.N. Doc. S/26617 (23 October 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 45732-45770, at 45756, 45763-45764.
Alleged Activity :
       The Black Swans allegedly committed most of the crimes against Bosnian Croats in the Konjic area. *318 According to reports, the Black Swans arrived in the Konjic area on 1 April 1993. They reinforced Muslim troops, under commander Tulomovic and were primarily deployed at the village of Handici, seven kilometres north-west of Konjic. *319 In negotiations with the HVO, Tulomovic denied that the Black Swans were under his control and blamed them for the criminal activity in the area.
       The Black Swan force established at Handici, allegedly attacked the Croatian village of Celopeci in early April 1993. The Black Swans reportedly burned three empty buildings and killed two elderly women and one elderly man, cutting off the man's arms and slitting his throat with a machete. Later, the Handici force was joined by Black Swans from Pokojiste, who used four or five Croatian civilians as human shields during the attack on the village. At least 70 men *320 comprised the attacking force. After the action, Muslim forces allegedly prevented Spanish UNPROFOR troops from investigating the activities at Celopeci. *321
       Also in the Konjic region, the Black Swans and Mujahedin troops allegedly launched infantry attacks on the village of Vrci every four or five days and helped run the P.O.W. camp for HVO soldiers at Parsovici. *322
       According to a witness from Jablanica, more than 100 Black Swans and MOS forces attacked Doljani on 28 July 1993, the fiercest action in the hamlets of Krkaci, Stupari, and Kosna Luka. Allegedly, the attackers killed and mutilated 24 people, including some soldiers. The witness stated that the corpses' eyes were plucked out, their ears were cut, and their stomachs were slit open. *323



Name of Unit : Bogdan Gagic's Formation
Ethnicity : N/A
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : Thirty-two
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Benkovac County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Bogdan Gagic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Report of the Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984, at 2804.
Alleged Activity :
       On 21 December 1991, Bogdan Gagic and the other 31 members of his formation killed nine Croatians and one Serbian in the village of Bruska, in Benkovac, Croatia. Other inhabitants were either killed, tortured or evicted. *324



Name of Unit : Forces of Hasan Hakalovic
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Konjic County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Hasan Hakalovic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Letter dated 21 October 1993, from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations Addressed to the President of the Security Council, U.N. Doc. S/26617 (23 October 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 45732-45770, at 45764.
Alleged Activity :
       According to reports, the paramilitary forces of Hasan Hakalovic executed two civilians, ages 60 and 75, in the village of Mrkosovice. *325



Name of Unit : Hrasnica Forces
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Konjic County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Letter dated 21 October 1993, from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations Addressed to the President of the Security Council, U.N. Doc. S/26617 (23 October 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 45732-45770, at 45764, 45768. There is, however, no corroboration that this group exists.
Alleged Activity :
       According to reports submitted to the Commission of Experts, during May 1993, in the village of Zaslivlje, the Hrasnica forces cut off the ears and noses of Zlatka Trlin, Joze Brvenik, and Ante Banovic. *326
       The Hrasnica forces allegedly desecrated churches, looted houses and mistreated Croats in the villages of Celebici and Radesine. *327



Name of Unit : Mecetove Bebe (Mecet's Babies)
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : Bosnian army insignia
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Travnik, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Travnik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : The leader's full name does not appear in the documents, but he is identified by nickname.
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 62612- 62877, at 62620.
Alleged Activity :
       The Mecetove Bebe allegedly carried out criminal activity, including theft and sabotage in the Travnik area. *328



Name of Unit : MOS or Muslim Armed Forces.
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : Scarves on their heads, olive fatigues, beards, and often green berets
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : MOS stationed on the Vjetrenica mountain near Zenica were from Zepce. *329 Other MOS were from Jablanica. *330
Area(s) of Operation : Vitez, Zenica, Doljani, and Jablanica Counties, BiH.
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *331
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Charles McLeod, ECMM, Report on Inter-Ethnic Violence in Vitez, Busovaca and Zenica (April 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 51615-51703, at 51631, 51639, 51640, 51669.
  • Letter dated 21 October 1993, from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations Addressed to the President of the Security Council, U.N. Doc. S/26617 (23 October 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 45732-45770, at 45752.
  • ECMM, Facts on the Aggression of the Muslim Forces, (included in a report submitted to the Commission of Experts, author unknown), IHRLI Doc. No. 41225-41250.
Alleged Activity :
       According to Croats fleeing villages in south-west BiH, 18 civilians were killed by the MOS in Stipica Meadow, near Borovac, on 28 July 1993. Witnesses stated that they were cut down by gunfire when crossing Stipica Meadow while fleeing from Borovac. *332 The survivors said that they were taken to a small room nearby where they were detained with others, including one HVO soldier who had been shot in the chest. They were given nothing to eat and only water to drink for the day they spent in detention. The prisoners allegedly heard shooting before they pried the bars loose on the windows where they were held and escaped. One of the victims recognized the MOS forces, saying that they were from Jablanica. *333
       In the towns of central BiH, in the Vitez and Zenica municipalities, the MOS allegedly looted and burned homes and threatened Croat civilians. *334 The MOS reportedly acted as police and arrested HVO personnel, who had been released earlier by the army of BiH.



Name of Unit : Mosque Doves (or Pigeons)
Ethnicity : Muslim and some Croatians.
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : 150
Origin : Zvornik, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Zvornik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Alleged Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Information Centre of the Democratic League of Kosova, Fighting in Bosna River Valley and Bosanska Posavina, IHRLI Doc. No. 47969-48071, at 48029-48031.
Alleged Activity :
       Quoting Tanjug, the Democratic League of Kosova reports that in the second week of October 1992, a unit of Muslim fighters calling themselves the Mosque Doves attacked the villages of Pantici and Milosevici, approximately 20 kilometres from Zvornik. Tanjug reports differed as to the number of people killed in the attack. On 12 October, Tanjug reported that 50 villagers, mainly elderly civilians were killed in the attack. A day later Tanjug reported that the victims included 13 civilians and 23 members of Serb forces.
       According to the reports, the Mosque Doves used «rifles from Hungary and Arabic countries», and included some Croatians and Muslims from the Zvornik area who were trained in the Croatian Adriatic town of Sibenik. The Doves allegedly knew their victims and called them by name. *335



Name of Unit : Patriotic League
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : The Patriotic League insignia contains Lilies.
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : The members of the Patriotic League were the original wearers of the green berets. They were largely JNA officers of Muslim religion who prepared for the war once they saw that it was inevitable.
Area(s) of Operation : BiH
Political Affiliation : Patriotic League
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 5, 6 September 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 35746-35751, at 035750.
  • Croatian Information Centre, A Written Statement, 3 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 14576-14587, at 14581.
Alleged Activity :
       One unconfirmed and unsubstantiated allegation has been made that members of the Patriotic League were active in Prijedor. *336
       The Patriotic League was also implicated in the 25 April 1993, attack on Zenica, in which civilians were killed and imprisoned. According to reports from the Croatian Information Centre, the Patriotic League acted in concert with several other military groups, including the MOS led by Commander Karalic, the BiH army, Third Corps, Brigade 314, and the Green League (or Legion) also known as the Zenica Hoodlums. *337



Name of Unit : Paramilitary wing of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA or PDA).
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Odzak County, BiH
Political Affiliation : Party of Democratic Action (SDA or PDA)
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Second Report Submitted to the Commission of Experts (6 April 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 28401-29019, at 28817, 28952-28953, 28977.
Alleged Activity :
       Paramilitary formations of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), together with members of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), allegedly perpetrated crimes against civilians in Odzak County. The reports include allegations of rape, murder of civilians, looting, detention, and forced labour. *338
       Allegedly, the SDA received military supplies from abroad, primarily from Croatia. Weapons dealers affiliated with the CDU and the SDA, centred in Odzak and Tarevci reportedly moved freely between Croatia and BiH. *339



Name of Unit : White Pumas
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : Brown battle fatigues
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Bihac, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Bihac County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    UNPROFOR Battle Command Kiseljak, Weekly Summary, December 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 25661-25667, at 25663.
Alleged Activity :
       Reporting on clashes in the Bihac pocket, between the Fifth BiH Corps and Krajina militia, United Nations Protection Forces (UNPROFOR) noted the presence of paramilitary units dressed in brown battle dress and assessed them as members of the Muslim organization, White Pumas. *340



Name of Unit : Yellow Ants
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Konjic County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Information on the Aggression of the Republic of Croatia (27 November 1992), IHRLI Doc. No. 3103-3156 and No. 5455-5470.
Alleged Activity :
       The Yellow Ants, along with HOS, Croatian National Guards (ZNG) and members of another paramilitary unit called Alija's Army, converged on Konjic on 26 April 1992. Upon arrival, the units allegedly established road blocks, set up machine-guns in nearby villages, murdered civilians, and looted the villagers' homes. *341



Name of Unit : Zenica Hoodlums/Green League (or Legion)
Ethnicity : Muslim
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Zenica County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Charles McLeod, ECMM, Report on Inter-Ethnic Violence in Vitez, Busovaca and Zenica (April 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 51615-51703, at 51657.
  • Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin No. 5, 6 September 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 35746-35751, at 35750.
Alleged Activity :
       On the morning of 25 April 1993, Muslim forces attacked villages near Zenica. Some civilians were killed and others were taken to detention facilities at the former conservatory of music in Zenica. Several Muslim groups allegedly participated in the attack : the army of BiH, Third Corps, led by Enver Hadzihasanovic; Brigade 314; The Green League, also called the Zenica Hoodlums; and members of the MOS led by commander Karalic. *342
       The Green Legion reportedly operated a prisoner of war camp in the nearby village of Bilimisce. *343

B. Paramilitary groups working in support of the Government of Croatia




Name of Unit : Black Legion *344
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : Black, except for the words «Black Legion» in white letters
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Allegedly, the members of the Black Legion are expatriates who lived in Germany before the war.
Area(s) of Operation : Tomislavgrad and Odzak Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Inter-Agency Group of the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Violations of Human Rights of Women, 6 February 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 22196- 22226, at 22201-22203.
  • Serbian Council Information Centre, Rape and Sexual Abuse of Serb Women and Children, 15 January 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 46176-46208, at 46203.
Alleged Activity :
       Witness testimonies, reported by the Serbian Council Information Centre, name members of the Black Legion as jailers. Allegedly, the Black Legion took prisoners from Split and Kupres and held them in deplorable conditions at Tomislavgrad. Detained women said that they were kept in cellars with no toilets or beds. The witnesses described the members of the Black Legion as wearing black and riding in a black Mercedes. One witness quoted one of the guards as saying that he entered the war to «protect his Fatherland». *345
       One witness stated that the «Black Legion» or «Black Shirts» *346 arrived at a prison camp in Odzak on 16 July 1993, and asked prisoners for gold or money. The witness reported that once she surrendered her money to the Black Legion, she was released. *347



Name of Unit : Black Shirts
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Virovitica County, Croatia
Area(s) of Operation : Grubisno Polje County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : Croatian National Guard (ZNG) *348
Alleged Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Serbian Council Information Centre, Report on Harassment and Ethnic Cleansing in Western Slavonia, 31 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 46072-46106, at 46075- 46080.
Alleged Activity :
       According to witness testimonies reported by the Serbian Council Information Centre, Black Shirt troops from Virovitica arrived in Grubisno Polje on 13 August 1991, and proceeded to arrest and kill civilians, destroy property, and steal money and valuables from the villagers.
       The Black Shirts allegedly began their activities in the area by blocking roads and setting up check-points. They also took over police duties and made arrests according to a previously compiled list. Allegedly, 124 people were arrested and held in the Grubisno Polje Hotel. Twenty well-respected men in the community, who were arrested according to the list, were later found dead. *349



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces of the Croatian Democratic Union (CDU)
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : Black headbands and fingerless gloves
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Odzak, Novi Grad and Bosanski Brod Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : Croatian Democratic Union (CDU)
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Second Report Submitted to the Commission of Experts (1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 28401-29019, at 28800-28825 and 28945-29000.
Alleged Activity :
       The Serbian Council Information Centre alleged that the CDU financed many paramilitary groups in Slavonia, and that the CDU paramilitary forces were responsible for shelling Donja Dubica on 18 April 1992. CDU forces allegedly killed, raped, and tortured prisoners. They also allegedly evicted Serbian villagers, looted, operated a prison camp called «Tulek» in Bosanski Brod, and used detainees for digging trenches, clearing minefields, and other war operations. *350



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces under Mile Dedakovic
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vukovar County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Mile Dedakovic, alias «Jastreb» *351
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Submission from United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations to the Commission of Experts (14 January 1994), IHRLI Doc. No. 56149-56281, at 56202.
Alleged Activity :
       The commander of this Croatian paramilitary unit is reported to have committed several violations. *352



Name of Unit : Glavas Unit or Paramilitary forces under Commander Glavas *353
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Osijek County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Glavas allegedly lived outside of Croatia for many years, *354 held several positions of authority in Osijek, including Mayor, and was a member of the extreme wing of the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ). *355
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Submission from United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations to the Commission of Experts (14 January 1994), IHRLI Doc. No. 56149-56281, at 56202.
  • Mihajlo Crnobrnja, The Yugoslav Drama 170-71 (1994).
  • Michael Ignatieff, «Nasty, Brutish and Short : Where the Warlords Hold Sway from Behind the Wheel of a Cherokee Chief», Ottawa Citizen, 11 April 1993, at C1.
  • «Croatian Public Opinion `Divided' on Return of Serbs Who Fled», BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 27 February 1992, at EE/1315/C1/1.
Alleged Activity :
       Glavas was the reported leader of paramilitary formations in Osijek. He was responsible for criminal acts, including murder, which were intended to intimidate the ethnic Serbian community and force them to flee. *356 By the fall of 1993, Glavas was elected Mayor of Osijek *357 after serving as the town council president. *358 There are also reports of a number of violations, such as killings. *359



Name of Unit : Hawks (Sokoli)
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Sisak County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : The Hawks are affiliated with the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs. *360
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Report submitted to the Commission of Experts (1992), IHRLI Doc. No. 48266-48301, at 48295.
Alleged Activity :
       In Sisak during the first half of 1991, the Hawks allegedly destroyed a slaughterhouse and four shops owned by Dragan Novakovic. *361



Name of Unit : Horses of Fire (Vatreni Konji) *362
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : Fifty-eight identified members. According to reports submitted to the Commission of Experts, members of the Horses of Fire were recruited from the 102nd Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO). *363
Origin : Odzak County, BiH *364
Area(s) of Operation : Odzak, Mostar, Bosanski Brod and Trebinje Counties, BiH *365
Political Affiliation : Bosnian Croatian Defence Council (HVO) *366
Leader(s) : Four identified men, whose names are not disclosed, for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons *367
Alleged Members : Fifty-eight named people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
  • Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Second Report Submitted to the Commission of Experts (1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 28401-29019, at 28539, 28602-28603, 28644, 28704-28705, 28708-28710, 28958-28962, 28965-28967, 28987-28992, 28997-289001, 29007, 29014.
  • UN Economic and Social Council Commission on Human Rights, Situation of Human Rights in the Territory of the former Yugoslavia (8 February 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 12606-12649 at 12613-12614, 12630.
Alleged Activity :
       The Horses of Fire were a special unit of the HVO, *368 created from the HVO's 102nd Brigade. *369 The founders of the Horses of Fire included four identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *370 These individuals allegedly established concentration camps to house Serbs in the Odzak commune and illegally furnished arms to the Horses of Fire. *371
       The Horses of Fire are named repeatedly in reports to the Commission of Experts as perpetrators of ethnic cleansing against Serbian civilians. *372 Allegedly, the Horses of Fire raped and killed Serbian civilians, and looted and destroyed Serbian property, including Serbian homes, and religious establishments. *373 Odzak County, on the border of Croatia and BiH, was the target of such attacks between April and August 1992. *374
       Acording to a UN report, in June 1992, members of Horses of Fire locked 16 Serbian women and children inside a house in Novi Grad and set the house on fire. The survivors were forced to jump from windows. *375 FRY reported that an elderly civilian was killed by the Horses of Fire on 15 July 1992. Reportedly, the victim lay sick in bed when a member of the paramilitary group beat him to death by striking him in the head and chest with a rock. *376
       Witness statements allege that the Horses of Fire frequently engaged in sexual assault and gang rape activities. *377 Prior to defeat by the Serbs in mid-July 1992, the Horses of Fire allegedly indulged in mass rape, and gang rape of Serbian girls and women. *378 Witness reports contain relevant details which are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. One witness recalled how she was raped and abused in the middle of the night by six members of the Horses of Fire. *379 In a similar case, 15 members of the Horses of Fire broke down the door of another witness's apartment where she resided with a relative. They were forcibly removed and taken to a location where they were raped by at least seven of their captors. The witness recognized the perpetrators as her neighbours. *380
       Witness statements also document an incident which occurred in early June 1992. One member of the Horses of Fire allegedly raped four women and brutally beat another, throwing her to the ground and stomping on her chest and stomach. *381 Also in June 1992, the Horses of Fire Commander and several of his men allegedly participated in the rape of several women. *382 In early June 1992, a woman was raped and forced to walk naked through her village. *383 On the evening of 4 July, nine rapes were reportedly committed by the Horses of Fire. *384
       Another report alleged that in July 1992, a notorious criminal and member of the Horses of Fire raped a young girl. *385 Allegedly, between 8 May and 15 July, several Serbian women from Odzak County were taken prisoner and raped. The women were detained in the village while men were taken to a camp. Reportedly, the Serbian men held at Odzak were forced to rape Serbian women who were brought to the camp. *386



Name of Unit : The Jokers (Jokeri or Dzokeri)
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : Black uniforms *387
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vitez County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Christopher Bellamy, «Bosnian Serbs Adjust to New Order», The Independent, 1 April 1994, at 10, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • «Defence Minister Reports on Activities of Croatian Army Units in Bosnia», BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 1 February 1994, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • Catherine Toups, «Bosnia-Hercegovina : Preparing for the Day of Reckoning», Inter Press Service, 15 February 1994, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • James O. Jackson, «No Rush to Judgement», Time, 27 June 1994, at 48-51.
Alleged Activity :
       Bralo (Cicko) Miroslav allegedly commanded a special unit of Bosnian Croat soldiers called «The Jokers». *388 The Bosnian War Crimes Commission suspects Miroslav himself of killing 20 people. *389 In one account collected by the Bosnian Commission, a Muslim woman from the area alleged that she was raped repeatedly by Miroslav and other Bosnian Croat soldiers during the month that she was held captive. *390
       A resident of Ahmici, a village in Vitez county, reported that the Jokers shelled and occupied the village on 16 April 1993. The witness stated that after the Jokers arrived, a crowd of approximately 20 people, including Croatian neighbours, surrounded the witness' home and shot several of the witness' relatives. Time magazine reported that 107 Muslims died in Ahmici that day. *391
       Bosnian Defence Minister, Hamdo Hadzihasanovic, identified the Jokers (dzokeri) as one of the special units of the HVO which received training and support from the Croatian Army. *392
       A report in The Independent described a group known as the Jokeri as gangsters with «fascist inclinations». *393 The Jokeri were allegedly responsible for attacks in violation of the cease- fire signed by Bosnia's Muslims and Croats in February 1994. *394



Name of Unit : Knights
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vitez County, BiH
Political Affiliation : Occasional ties to the HVO
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    UNPROFOR, Weekly Summary, April 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 25522-25527, at 25523.
Alleged Activity :
       According to UNPROFOR personnel, the Croatian Knights paramilitary group set up a check-point approximately three kilometres north-west of Vitez where they detained a convoy of trucks for several days. Although the convoy was eventually returned, the action was apparently one of many designed to agitate the Muslim population and to inrease tension in the region.
       HVO officials in Vitez said that the Knights were a renegade group which did not follow official military command. *395



Name of Unit : Medici
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : Police uniforms
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Travnik County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Travnik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    UNPROFOR, Weekly Summary, April 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 25522-25527, at 25523.
Alleged Activity :
       In talks with UNPROFOR personnel, the HVO said that a paramilitary formation called the «Medici» was responsible for the attacks, kidnappings, bombings and errant artillery fire which were perpetrated upon Muslims in and around Travnik in central BiH during the first weeks of April 1993. The HVO claimed that the Medici were not under military control. *396



Name of Unit : Sombor Group
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : N/A
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    UNPROFOR, Weekly Summary, 7 December 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 55366-55368, at 55366.
Alleged Activity :
       UNPROFOR documents report that the «Sombor» group, allegedly a Croatian organization guilty of sabotage, are being detained in FRY. In December of 1993, the Yugoslav government was considering exchanging the Sombor group for Serbian prisoners of war who were being held in Croatia. *397



Name of Unit : Croatian Tiger Forces, «Kiseljak Tigers» and «United to Death» *398
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Kiseljak, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Mostar and Vares Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : Occasional ties to the HVO
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • ECMM, Report on Possible War Crimes, Submitted to the Commission of Experts, IHRLI Doc. No. 41151-41170, at 41159.
  • UNPROFOR, Press Release, 27 October 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 43929-43930.
Alleged Activity :
       The Tigers allegedly joined the HVO in Mostar on 1 June 1993. With the Tigers, arrived additional materiel, including 305 millimetre «Slavuj» guns and grenades manufactured at Slavonski Brod. *399
       UNPROFOR reports stated that «an HVO unit named `Tigers from Kiseljak' or `United to Death'» *400 participated in the attack on the Muslim village of Stupni Do on 23 October 1993. In a press release dated 27 October 1993 (one day after the UNPROFOR forces were allowed access to the village), UNPROFOR related that the village was attacked by HVO forces and that all 52 houses in the village were burned, that civilians were killed, and that women may have been raped. *401 Later reports stated that the attacking force contained 300-600 troops, and that 42 civilians were killed, including nine children. *402



Name of Unit : Vjesta
Ethnicity : Croatian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Donji Rakic (County and Country unknown)
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Interview with Cvijetin Maksimovic (Karim Loutfi trans.), IHRLI Doc. No. 19947A-19947L, at 19947C.
Alleged Activity :
       Cvijetin Maksimovic alleged that he was captured by Croatian forces called «Vjesta» in May 1993. He said that he was held in a detention facility operated by the Vjesta at Donji Rakic. *403

C. Paramilitary groups working in support of the Government of Serbia




Name of Unit : Fifth Kozara Brigade from Prijedor
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Prijedor County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Sanski Most County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 4, IHRLI Doc. No. 34962-966, at 34965.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Croatian Information Centre, the Fifth Kozara Brigade is a paramilitary formation in the Banja Luka Corps of the Serbian Army. On 24-25 July 1992, the Fifth Kozara Brigade, the Sixth Krajina Brigade and local Serb paramilitaries attacked the Bosnian Croat villages of Stara Rijeka, Brisevo, Raljas and Carakovo in the Ljubija region. Seventy-three Croatian civilians were killed during the attack by over 3,000 Serbs. *404



Name of Unit : Sixth Krajina Brigade from Sanski Most
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Sanksi Most County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Sanski Most County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 4, IHRLI Doc. No. 34962-34966, at 34965.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Croatian Information Centre, the Sixth Krajina Brigade is a paramilitary formation of the Banja Luka Corps in the Serbian Army. On 24-25 July 1992, the Sixth Krajina Brigade, along with the Fifth Kozara Brigade and local Serb paramilitaries, attacked the Croatian villages of Stara Rijeka, Brisevo, Raljas and Carakovo in the Ljubija region of BiH. Over 3,000 Serbs participated in the attack, during which 73 Croatian civilians died. *405



Name of Unit : Unit of Daruvar
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Daruvar, Grubisno Polje, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega Counties, Croatia
Political Affiliation : Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) of Slavonja and Baranja
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Report of the Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984, at 2804-2807.
Alleged Activity :
       In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade for the area of Daruvar, Grubisno Polje, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega. One formation of the brigade was the Unit of Daruvar, headquartered in Bijela. *406
       The Unit of Daruvar and members of their police units allegedly participated in the following attacks and incidents, often in concert with other Serbian paramilitary forces and JNA :
  1. On 19 June 1991, members of special forces for Bjelovar killed two policemen and wounded five in an attack near Sirac. *407
  2. Three policemen--Robert Zilic, Miroslav Poljak, and Ivan Roncevic, were killed in Daruvar on 20 June 1991. *408
  3. An identified member and others kidnapped several policemen. *409
  4. On 21 August 1991, the attack on Daruvar began. Nine mortar shells fell on the town and two policemen were wounded. *410
  5. From 27 August to 16 September 1991, 10 people were killed and 20 wounded in mortar attacks by «Cetniks» on Doljani, Daruvar and Sirac. *411
  6. During 24-27 September 1991, Daruvar and Sirac were mortared. One person was killed and seven wounded. *412
  7. On 6 October 1991, «Cetniks» shelled Daruvar. One member of the Croatian Army was killed and five persons were seriously wounded. *413
  8. «Cetniks» shelled Daruvar and Sirac on 10 October 1991. *414
  9. On 9 November 1991, «Cetniks» fired mortar shells on Sirac and Suplja Lipa. Two persons were killed and three wounded. *415
  10. Two persons were killed and two wounded during shelling of Daruvar, Sirac, Suplja Lipa and Koncanica on 11 November 1991. *416
  11. On 12 November 1991, one person was killed and eight wounded in shelling of Daruvar. *417
  12. During «Cetnik» shelling of Sirac during 15-20 December 1991, five people were killed and 41 wounded. *418



Name of Unit : XII Slavonian Shock Brigade
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Pakrac, Podravska Slatina Counties, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : Sixteen identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Report of the Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984.
Alleged Activity :
       In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) in Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade. *419 Units of the Brigade include the Unit of Daruvar *420 and the Bilogorian Order. *421
       On 19 August 1991, 39 members of the XII Slavonian brigade attacked Pakrac, Lipik and Prekopakra. An unspecified number of Croatian civilians were killed, evicted, or imprisoned in the camp at Bucje. Croatian property was stolen or destroyed. *422
       Between 13 August and 31 October 1991, 61 members of the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade allegedly participated in the following actions :
  1. On 28 August 1991, two identified members of the group and a group of unidentified perpetrators kidnapped a man from G. Kovacica. The next day, nine identified members of this group and others kidnapped two people. *423 The names of the perpetrators are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons;
  2. On 29 August 1991, four identified members of the group confiscated a villager's car and gun. *424 The names of the perpetrators are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons;
  3. An identified member of the group fired an automatic weapon at a private home in late August 1991 and murdered a man in September 1991. *425 The name of the perpetrator is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons;
  4. On 16 September 1991, members from Grdjevac, Sibenik, Gremusina, and other villages launched a mortar and artillery attack on Veliki Grdjevac; *426
  5. On 18-19 September 1991, members of the brigade kidnapped nine men; *427
  6. On 18 September 1991, members of the brigade from G. Kovacica launched a mortar and infantry attack on Veliki Grdjevac; *428
  7. On 13 October 1991, members of the brigade kidnapped three men from Veliki Grdjevac; *429
  8. On 14 October 1991, a mortar attack was launched on Veliki Grdjevac. *430

       The XII Slavonian Shock Brigade allegedly attacked the following villages with mortars, tank grenades, and rocket launchers during the months of October to December 1991 : Cetekovac, Golenic, Hum, Ivanbrijeg, Lisicine Mackovac, Mikleus, Podravska Slatina *431



Name : Adolf
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Uniform of a Militia (police) reservist
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Bjeljina County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Brcko County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : This is a one man unit.
Source(s) :
    BBC Breakfast News, IHRLI Doc. No. 39139 at No. 39140-39141
Alleged Activity :
       An identified member of this group reportedly killed 150 unarmed Muslim and Croat civilians in early May 1992, in Brcko. According to the witness, Adolf found these civilians on the streets, briefly interrogated them, and made them form a line in front of the Old Hotel near the centre of Brcko. He then shot them one by one, with a Scorpion automatic pistol fitted with a silencer. *432
       During the time of the initial killings, the police from Bijeljina and the local Serbian police operated in Brcko. The leader of the group worked with neither and was only being helped by a few reservists from Bijeljina. Yet, many people thought that he and the others had special permission to do the killing.
       Those killed by the group are buried in mass graves in Brcko. *433 Others killed were reportedly thrown into the Sava River.
       Adolf allegedly participated in killings at the Brcko-Luka camp. *434 However, because Adolf was not formally affiliated with the JNA, the Commander of Serb forces at the camp insisted that Adolf leave Brcko-Luka. Reportedly, Adolf then returned to Bijeljina.
       Other identifying information is available, but not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *435



Name of Unit : Anticevci
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Zvornik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, «Report on `Ethnic Cleansing Operations' in the North- Eastern Bosnian City of Zvornik», 6 April 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 63984-64023, at 63996.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, the Anticevci participated in the Serbian attack on Zvornik which began on 26 April 1992. Allegedly, the Anticevci attacked Zvornik alongside Territorial Defence units, Arkanovci, Seseljovci, Draganovci, White Eagles, Dusan Silni, Vukovarci, and other smaller units. According to the report, the Anticevci carried only light arms, but are accused of perpetrating the assault in the district of Srpska Varos in which an entire village was killed on 15 April. *436



Name of Unit : Armada Forces
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Banja Luka County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Teslic County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Zdravko Grebo, Report Sent to Tadeusz Mazowiecki, 19 November 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 49183-49201, at 49197.
Alleged Activity :
       According to Zdravko Grebo, a professor at Sarajevo University, the Armada Forces «terrorized» Muslim prisoners from Banja Luka. Reportedly, the Armada Forces came to Teslic to perform «ethnic cleansing» operations there. Serbian Militia and Red Berets also operated in Teslic. *437



Name of Unit : Bilogora Unit (Bilogorski Odred)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Grubisno Polje, Daruvar, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega Counties, Croatia
Political Affiliation : Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) of Slavonia and Baranja
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons.
Source(s) :
    Report of Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 002794-2984.
Alleged Activity :
       In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade for the area of Grubisno Polje, Daruvar, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega. The Bilogorski Odred was formed as part of this Brigade, and allegedly took part in the following attacks, in concert with JNA and «Cetnik» forces :
  1. On 17 August 1991, the centre of Grubisno Polje was attacked. An unspecified number of people were wounded. *438
  2. On 21 August 1991, infantry attacked Ivanovo Selo. One person was wounded and a policeman was kidnapped. *439
  3. On 1 September 1991, the Croatian Army strongholds in Gornja Rasenica were attacked with mortars and infantry. *440
  4. On 13 September 1991, two members of the Croatian Army were wounded in an infantry attack on Grubisno Polje. *441
  5. On 15 September 1991, the village of Munije was attacked. The non-Serbian population was mistreated and a few Croatians were captured. *442
  6. On 21 September 1991, 27 members of the Bilogora Unit carried out an infantry and mortar attack on Ivanovo Selo, in the Grubisno Polje municipality. Seven people were killed and nine wounded. *443
  7. On 6-7 October 1991, «Cetniks» attacked Grubisno Polje with mortars and infantry. *444
  8. On 15 October 1991, two people were killed on during a mortar attack on Ivanovo Selo. *445



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces from Borovo Naselje
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Vukovar County, Croatia.
Area(s) of Operation : Vukovar County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons *446
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 15, 15 November 1993, IHRLI Doc. no. 47021-24 at 47023.
Alleged Activity :
       On 8 October 1991, a group of civilians were reportedly imprisoned in Borovo Naselje, near Vukovar, when they attempted to extinguish a fire at the «Komerc» building. A paramilitary group from the town allegedly captured and then transported the civilians in JNA vehicles to the Stajicevo prison camp in Serbia. The prisoners were abused during the ride to Stajicevo by four members of the paramilitary unit. A witness also described Stajicevo camp as holding 6,500 persons from Vukovar, Borovo Naselje and Miklusevci, Croatia, and said that many of the prisoners were women. At least one local member of the group was identified by a local witness. *447



Name of Unit : Forces of Miroslav Deronjic
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Bratunac County, BiH
Political Affiliation : Serbian Democratic Party (SDS)
Leader(s) : Miroslav Deronjic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 57229, at 56909.
Alleged Activity :
       On 23 May 1992, local paramilitary forces, commanded by Miroslav Deronjic, killed 70 Muslims in front of the mosque in the village of Glogova in Bratunac County. Deronjic, alias «Momo- Penzica», was President of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) in Bratunac. *448



Name of Unit : Captain Dragan units
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Captain Dragan reportedly wore a Red Beret, featuring the Serbian cross and the four cyrillic S's, and olive fatigues, with no insignia except for a metal plate on the shoulder bearing the name «Captain Dragan».
Number of Troops : As many as 1,000
Origin : Dragan's special forces consist of 1,000 soldiers of the «Republic of Serbian Krajina» and some volunteers from countries outside the Former Yugoslavia.
Area(s) of Operation : Vukovar, Zadar, and Knin Counties, Croatia; and Brcko, Zvornik, and Zavidovici Counties, BiH *449
Political Affiliation : N/A
Alleged Leader(s) : Captain Dragan Vasiljkovic or Daniel Sneden. *450 Dragan is allegedly an Australian citizen who was born in Belgrade. He was a military advisor in both Tanzania and Angola, and, as a result, when speaking English, his accent is more South African than Australian. He reportedly arrived in Knin, Croatia, in 1990, returned to Belgrade in 1991, and left Krajina sometime in 1992. He later returned to Krajina to operate a training camp for special forces volunteers. *451 Dragan also reportedly led paramilitary groups called the Knindze and the Red Berets. *452
Alleged Members : Four identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons.
Source(s) :
  • Geoffrey Lee Martin, «Serb Rebel Has Record in Australia», The Daily Telegraph, 13 August 1991, at 8.
  • Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 4, 30 August 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 34962-34966, at 34963.
  • United Nations Military Information Branch, Who's Who in Former Yugoslavia, No. 1, 1 February 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 62101-62173, at 62141.
  • «Krajina Interior Minister Says Croats Preparing to Launch Attack», BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 13 August 1991, at Eastern Europe.
  • Rob Krott, «Yank Pulls Three Combat Tours With Cetniks», Soldier of Fortune, April 1994, at 49-50.
  • Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 14, 8 November 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 47017-47023, at 47018.
  • US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 56879, at 56615 and 56995.
  • Croatian Information Centre, A Written Statement, IHRLI Doc. No. 36396-36402, at 36397.
  • Report submitted by the Republic of Croatia to the U.N. Security Council, War Crimes and Grave Breaches of Geneva Conventions Committed by Serbian Paramilitary Forces in United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs) in the Republic of Croatia, 6 September 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 42883-42918, at 42890.
  • Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Report on `Ethnic Cleansing Operations' in the North-Eastern Bosnian City of Zvornik, 6 April 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 63984-64023, at 63996.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the UN, Captain Dragan led a force called the Knindze from Knin, Croatia, on raids in Croatia in 1990. He also participated in operations in Vukovar with other paramilitary formations, including those commanded by Arkan and Seselj. In February 1993, having gained celebrity status in Krajina and in Belgrade, Captain Dragan was appointed to head a training camp for Alpha Special Forces in Knin in February 1993. As a result, forces trained by Captain Dragan moved throughout the territory of the former Yugoslavia under various commanders and as members of larger units. The training camp in Croatia allegedly contained over 1,000 troops. Most of the volunteers were soldiers of the army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, but troops from outside the former Yugoslavia also trained there under Dragan.
       Dragan claims to have deployed the Garibaldi Fighters from Italy in the Velebit mountains north of Zadar in Croatia. The size of the Garibaldo unit is unknown, but reportedly carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions behind enemy lines on behalf of Serbian paramilitary commanders fighting in Croatia. Dragan claimed that by July 1993, as many as 114 missions had been performed by units trained by him at the camp. *453
       Dragan has been accused of intimidating civilians and of orchestrating «ethnic cleansing» throughout Krajina. In November 1991, Captain Dragan and two other identified men used the burned remains of a human body to intimidate a Croatian civilian prisoner and force him to reveal information. This happened at the carpentry workshop in «Velepromet» in Vukovar. Captain Dragan was also an investigator for the «People's Court-Martial» at the carpentry workshop, where Serbian JNA and paramilitary forces condemned Croatian prisoners to death. *454 A witness alleged that Captain Dragan and another identified man took a woman from «Velepromet». The woman was beaten and then returned to the room after being questioned about events in Vukovar and the treatment of Serbian residents there before the 1991 elections. *455
       A 110-man unit under Captain Dragan allegedly attacked a village called Divic, near Zvornik, in May 1992. The group was billeted in Zvornik, which was occupied by Arkanovci at the time. *456
       A witness stated that on 23 September 1991, civilians in Tovarnik, in eastern Croatia, were forced into a courtyard and divided according to nationality. One hundred Croats were reportedly separated from the group and taken towards Sid in Serbia. Reportedly, Captain Dragan claimed authorization to kill whomever he chose. Allegedly, one man was killed and left on the side of the road. *457
       A unit named the Draganovci also allegedly participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, Dusan the Mighty, Anticevci, the White Eagles, the Vukovar Unit under Pero Elez, and others. *458
       In January 1993, paramilitary formations under Captain Dragan allegedly participated in the «ethnic cleansing» operation of the Knin district, along with Arkan and Seselj units. *459
       Captain Dragan's troops allegedly removed prisoners from Luka camp to Belgrade during June 1992. *460
       Groups commanded by Captain Dragan reportedly include the Knindze, the Red Berets, and the Munja or Flash (lightning) troops.



Name of Unit : Drago's Group (Dragina Grupa)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vukovar, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : Nine identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Report of the Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984, at 2813.
Alleged Activity :
       Drago's Group was allegedly responsible for killing civilians in Tovarnik, a town near Vukovar in eastern Croatia, during 27-30 September 1991. About 80 persons were killed with knives, guns, bombs, etc. An identified Captain raped and killed young girls. Other members of Drago's Group, who allegedly participated in the attack on Tovarnik, were identified, but their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *461



Name of Unit : Dusan the Great (Dusan Silni)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Camouflage, headbands or scarves and hats with insignia
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vukovar County, Croatia and Zvornik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : Six identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
  • Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 3, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 34958-961, at 34959.
  • Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 14, 8 November 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 47017-47024, at 47019.
  • Croatian Information Centre, War Crimes Committed by the Yugoslav Army 1991-1992, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 15105- 15210, at 15123.
  • Report submitted by the Republic of Croatia to the U.N. Security Council, War Crimes and Grave Breaches of Geneva Conventions Committed by Serbian Paramilitary Forces in United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs) in the Republic of Croatia, 6 September 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 42883-42918, at 42896-42901.
  • Amnesty International, Yugoslavia : Further Reports of Torture and Arbitrary Killings in War Zones, March 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 50100-50129, at No. 50107.
  • Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Report on `Ethnic Cleansing Operations' in the North-Eastern Bosnian City of Zvornik, 6 April 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 63984-64023, at 63996.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Croatian Information Centre, on 7 September 1991, in Tovarnik, Dusan the Great forces killed a Catholic priest and set fire to Croatian houses. *462
       Dusan forces were also allegedly involved in abuses conducted in the village of Lovas in eastern Croatia. Allegedly, male civilians in Lovas were mistreated and some were killed on 17 October 1991, when they were called to a meeting in a cooperative. Dusan the Great forces surrounded the cooperative, then searched and beat the prisoners. Later, the leader allegedly arrived and ordered some of the prisoners to perform work detail, and detained them in a house for the night. One witness reportedly was detained for roughly three months and made to perform work detail. He stated that Ljuban Devetak was in charge of operations and was encamped at the main police station in Lovas. The same witness also stated that Jovicevci, Seseljovci and Arkanovci were also present in Lovas during the fall of 1992. *463
       Victims were reportedly beaten, forced to sit still in front of machine-guns, and forced to walk through a minefield. Another witness reported that 21 people died and that 13 were wounded. *464
       Dusan the Great allegedly participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH, along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, the Vukovar Unit, Anticevci, the White Eagles, Captain Dragan's men, and others. *465



Name of Unit : Serb paramilitary unit from Dvor na Uni
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Dvor, Croatia
Area(s) of Operation : Dvor, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : Thirteen identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 15, 15 November 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 47021-24, at 47022.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Croatian Information Centre, a paramilitary group from Dvor na Uni attacked two nearby villages, Kozibrod and Struga, on 26 July 1991. The attack began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 9:00 p.m. Allegedly, the attackers used civilians from the two villages as shields as they advanced on the Croatian police station at Kozibrod. Once in control of the police station, the paramilitaries reportedly killed seven civilians and eight policemen. The report also lists eight civilians as seriously wounded by gunfire. *466



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces under Pero Elez including the Vukovar Unit (Vukovarci)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Camouflage fatigues bearing the red, white, and blue flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and\or the JNA star on the left front pocket
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Foca County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Foca and Zvornik Counties, BiH and Vukovar County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Pero Eles
Alleged Members : Two Deputy Commanders *467 and others *468 were identified, but their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons.
Source(s) :
  • US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 62612-62877, at 62783.
  • Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Report on `Ethnic Cleansing Operations' in the North-Eastern Bosnian City of Zvornik, 6 April 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 63984-64023, at 63996.
  • Republic of BiH Information Bureau, Daily Report on Aggression and Terrorism against the Republic of BiH, IHRLI Doc. No. 30207-30293, at 30213, 30246 and 30291.
  • Zdravko Grebo, Report to U.N. Special Rapporteur Mazowiecki, 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 49183-49200, at 49190- 2.
  • Report of BiH, Submission of Witness Statements to the Commission of Experts, 12 August 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 35641-35706D, at 35685-35687, 35705.
Alleged Activity :
       A Government report named the commander of the Vukovar Unit paramilitary force, which operated in Vukovar County, Croatia, and in Foca, Gacko, Zvornik, and Brcko Counties, BiH. *469 Allegedly, many civilians were killed, imprisoned, or evicted from their homes by the Vukovar Unit. Reports also document that this group destroyed and looted property. The group is also accused of detaining women and young girls in separate facilities and raping them. Two identified members of the group allegedly transported women to detention facilities in FRY and Germany.
       The US Government reported that the Vukovar unit participated in the 4 May 1992, attack on Foca, alongside members of the White Eagles and the Montenegro Guard. According to the report, the paramilitary units arrived together in seven military buses and followed orders to «comb» the area for Muslim and Croat civilians. The troops reportedly shot many of the civilians in outlying areas and detained the others at Foca Prison. *470
       Several witnesses stated that the commander operated in Foca from a hotel in Miljevina. Allegedly, many female prisoners were taken to the Miljevina hotel headquarters and then escorted to private homes, where they were detained for months and raped. The commander reportedly was the first to rape many of the women. The victims said that if they resisted, they were threatened with transfer to a local hotel, where many paramilitary troops raped prisoners regularly. Victims stated that they were held at the house of Nusret Karaman, *471 who was allegedly part of a transport network run by the commander. Karaman reportedly provided passports for the women and took them from BiH to Belgrade and to Germany. *472
       A report submitted to the UN estimated that 250 buildings in Foca, including a mosque, were burned to the ground, that the entire agricultural stock was burned, and that farming machinery was destroyed. Allegedly, 1,000 civilians were taken to Foca prison and abused. The prisoners included Muslims, Croats, Serb resisters, and patients and staff at the Foca Medical Centre. Witnesses stated that as many as 10,000 detainees were moved through the prison. *473
       The Vukovar Unit also allegedly participated in an attack on the villages near Zelengora mountain in Gacko. Serbian forces allegedly began shelling the villages on 1 July 1992. Civilians were killed with knives or captured and sent to Kalinovik, where they were held in an elementary school. Witnesses stated that two identified men took 12 young women from the elementary school prison. Witnesses also reported that two elderly women died hile in captivity at the school. *474
       The Vukovar Unit allegedly participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH, along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, Dusan the Great, Anticevci, the White Eagles, Captain Dragan's men, and others. *475



Name of Unit : Serbian Falcons
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : BiH
Political Affiliation : Serbian Royalist Party (SRP)
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons.
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • «Nationalistic Serbs Threaten Terrorist Attacks if Intervention», Agence France Presse, 13 May 1993, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • Suzanne Nelson, «Yugoslavia : Extremist Groups Come to Life in Disillusioned Serbia», Inter Press Service, 17 November 1992, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
Alleged Activity :
       In May 1993, the group was reported to have 350 men training at Subotica, Serbia. *476 Groups such as Helsinki Watch suspect the SRP paramilitary group, the Serbian Falcons, of atrocities. As of November 1992, an estimated 600 Serbian Falcons were fighting in BiH, with 700 to 800 in Serbia. *477



Name of Unit : Garavi Sokak
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Gorazde County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    State Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes in the Republic of BiH, Bulletin, No. 3, March 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29841-29884, at 29875.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Bulletin, in June 1992, the Garavi Sokak paramilitary unit looted Muslim property and frightened Muslim residents of Gorazde and surrounding villages. The Garavi Sokak unit worked together with Uzice military units, Arkan's men, and local paramilitaries working under Braco Rakanovic. Allegedly, these forces attacked a settlement near Kokino village and another near Povrsnica mountain. *478



Name of Unit : Grey Wolves
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : The Grey Wolves wore distinct, black wool caps and green uniforms with patches on both sleeves. The right- arm patch depicted a grey wolf; the left-arm patch bore the four Cyrillic S's.
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Bosanski Samac County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Stepo Todorovic, Minister of Internal Affairs, who originally lived in Serbia
Alleged Members :
Source(s) :
    Marlene A. Young (National Organization for Victim Assistance), Recommendation for Assistance to Victims of Trauma in the Former Yugoslavia, 5 February 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 9114-9162, at 9157-9161.
Alleged Activity :
       The National Organization for Victim Assistance reported an attack on Bosanski Samac on 17 April 1992, by Serbian paramilitary forces, including the Grey Wolves and Arkanovci. One witness stated that the paramilitary troops arrested and killed civilians in the days before and after the attack, and that the same troops mined and destroyed all of the bridges in the area. The witness stated that he was arrested and repeatedly beaten. *479
       On 18 April the paramilitary forces were allegedly joined by the Territorial Defence and the JNA, who came with tanks and transport vehicles. Politically active Croats and Muslims were arrested, as well as anyone who remained outside. Seven or eight days later, all intellectuals were arrested. In the third and final wave of arrests, the only civilians who were not taken were those with «working obligations». Allegedly, detention centres were established at a Territorial Defence storehouse and the police headquarters. The prisoners were reportedly beaten and detained for a month. *480
       Todorovic was reportedly from Serbia and married to a Muslim woman. He allegedly demanded that civilians give up their arms for peace, and claimed that if even one Grey Wolf was killed, 100 Muslims and Croats would die. According to the witness, the civilians who surrendered their weapons were arrested. *481
       A man, identified by one name only, was reportedly a member of the Arkanovci or Grey Wolves, killed 21 people in retaliation for the death of a 21 year-old Serb. A 60 year-old man was also reportedly shot to death. *482
       The witness stated that he was eventually taken out of Bosanski Samac and taken to Brcko and other camps. *483



Name of Unit : Serbian Guard in Karakaj
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Karakaj (county unknown), BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons.
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 57229, at 56879.
Alleged Activity :
       The chief of the Serbian guard in Karakaj is reported to have engaged in several activities not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *484



Name of Unit : Serb Hawks (Srpski Orlovi)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Chris Stephen, «View from the Zoo», Houston Chronicle, 5 December 1993, at A33.
Alleged Activity :
       The name «Serb Hawks» is reported in at least one newspaper article, but no information is available regarding their activities. *485



Name of Unit : Cetniks led by Dragan Ignjatovic, Ljubisav, and Mile Mijatovic
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Zvornik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Dragan Ignjatovic, Ljubisav, and Mile Mijatovic (alias «Cicvara»)
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    World Campaign «Save Humanity», Report on War Destructions, Violation of Human Rights and Crimes Against Humanity in BiH, 27 July 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 52111-135, at 52131-132.
Alleged Activity :
       Cetniks led by Dragan Ignjatovic, a former clerk in the Zvornik town hall, Ljubisav, a policeman, and Mile Mijatovic, alias «Cicvara», attacked Kostjerevo village near Zvornik in May 1992. According to a witness, the entire population of Kostjerevo was taken to Drinjaca. Thirty-five men were beaten and killed in a hall there and 12 teenage boys were taken prisoner and led in the direction of Zvornik. Women were raped and tortured. On 31 May about 150 women and children were taken in two buses in the direction of Tuzla, while others were allegedly kept for exchange. *486



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces under Dragan Ikanovic *487
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vogosca County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Dragan Ikanovic
Alleged Members : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosectorial reasons.
Source(s) :
    State Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes in the Republic of BiH, Bulletin, No. 3, March 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29841-29884, at 29869-29870.
Alleged Activity :
       A witness reported that Dragan Ikanovic and his men were responsible for the deaths of approximately 50 Muslim prisoners. According to the witness, Ikanovic and his men loaded the prisoners onto a bus and drove them from Vogosca towards a village called Srednje. At one point in the journey, the passengers were told that the bus had overheated. The three Serbian guards left the bus, which was then fired upon by Serbian forces using rocket launchers, bazookas, machine-guns and hand grenades. *488



Name of Unit : Dragan Ilic's Group
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : N/A
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Dragan Ilic
Alleged Members : One man was identified, but his name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons.
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 57229, at 56879.
Alleged Activity :
       Twenty-two year-old Dragan Ilic, son of Dragoljub Ilic, allegedly led a team that confiscated weapons from Muslims. One member of the team was identified. *489



Name of Unit : Jovicevci
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Camouflage
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vukovar County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Report submitted by the Republic of Croatia to the U.N. Security Council, War Crimes and Grave Breaches of Geneva Conventions Committed by Serbian Paramilitary Forces in United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs) in the Republic of Croatia, 6 September 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 42883-42918, at 42896-42901.
Alleged Activity :
       According to witness statements reported by the Republic of Croatia, the Jovicevci forces were involved in abuses conducted in Lovas in eastern Croatia. Male civilians in Lovas were allegedly mistreated and some were killed on 17 October 1991, when they were called to a meeting at the town cooperative. Jovicevci allegedly participated in searching and beating the prisoners. Twenty-one people were killed on the night of 17 October when they were forced to walk in a minefield located in front of the Borovo factory. A witness stated that the paramilitary groups present in Lovas at the time were the Jovicevci, Seseljovci and Arkanovci. Also, many witnesses have corroborated that Ljuban Devetak, an economist, was in charge of the forces operating in Lovas during the fall of 1992. *490



Name of Unit : Zoran Karlica
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Prijedor County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : Three identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Genocide : Ethnic Cleansing in Northwestern Bosnia (Ante Beljo ed. 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 39889-40025, at 39953.
Alleged Activity :
       A Serbian paramilitary unit called Zoran Karlica was allegedly responsible for killings, rapes and other abuses in the village of Biscani in Prijedor county in July 1992. A witness recognized and identified three men among the group. One identified man allegedly beat a man to death because of an earlier incident between them. *491
       The witness claimed that there were few survivors after «ethnic cleansing» in the village. Survivors were loaded into two buses and driven towards Prijedor. There were reportedly unburied bodies alongside the road during the drive. At Crna Jaruga, half of one bus' passengers were killed. One of the buses drove to the Omarska camp and then on to the Trnopolje camp because there was no room at Omarska. Later in the day, an identified member of the paramilitary group returned and reportedly removed and executed 13 people. *492



Name of Unit : Knindza Turtles
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Knin County, Croatia
Area(s) of Operation : Modrica and Doboj Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A *493
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Amnesty International, BiH Gross Abuses of Basic Human Rights, October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 3596-3648, at 3620-21.
Alleged Activity :
       According to an eyewitness, during May 1992, a paramilitary group who called themselves the Knindza Turtles, together with members of the White Eagles, interrogated prisoners at the Sutjeska school. The witness reported that he was held in a classroom with approximately 50 other men of military age. Women, children and older men were held in the school sports hall. The witness said that local Serbs acted as guards, while the two paramilitary groups performed interrogations. *494
       The witness was questioned about where the Muslims kept their weapons and about his activities before apprehension. He said that he was not beaten during the interrogation, but that one of the prisoners, a 47 year-old Muslim, was beaten with a pickaxe handle. *495



Name of Unit : Vlado Kovacevic and Cetniks
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Vukovar County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Vlado Kovacevic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 2, 16 August 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 34954-34957, at 34956.
Alleged Activity :
       On 19 November 1991, Serbian paramilitary units, referred to by witnesses as «Cetniks», took Vukovar civilians from their basements to the Pekara bakery, where they were killed with knives and burned in a baker's oven. Vlado Kovacevic was seen among the perpetrators, apparently dressed as the commander. *496



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces under command of Rajko Kusic
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Visegrad and Rogatica Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Rajko Kusic, Major Commander Battalion Borika, 1 Brigade Drina Corps, Serbian Republic of BiH *497
Alleged Members : An identified person, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
  • BiH Bulletin No. 3, March 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29841-29884, at 29866-29867.
  • United Nations Military Information Branch, Report on Who's Who in Former Yugoslavia, No. 1, 1 February 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 62101-62173, at 62141.
Alleged Activity :
       According to a witness, Serbian paramilitary forces under the command of Rajko Kusic killed 49 prisoners during a fake prisoner exchange. Serb forces under the command of an identified member of the group forced prisoners from Visegrad onto a bus, under the pretence of a prisoner exchange in Han Pijesak. However, once the prisoners were on the bus, several Serb soldiers tied them up, and then beat and taunted them. Eventually, the bus arrived at a curve along a muddy road. The Serb forces ordered the prisoners off the bus, walked them up the road, then killed 49 of the prisoners and piled them in a pit. *498



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces under Milan Lukic.
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Masked with camouflage uniforms and «Cetnik insignias».
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Visegrad County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Visegrad County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Milan Lukic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Fifth Periodic Report on the Situation of Human Rights in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia, U.N. Doc. E/CN.4/1994/47 (17 November 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 52399-52435, at 52430.
  • Amnesty International Submission to the Commission of Experts, 16 November 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 34967-35017, at 34993.
  • Zdravko Grebo, Report Sent to Tadeusz Mazowiecki, 19 November 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 49183-49201, at 49192- 49193.
  • Republic of BiH, Report Submitted to the Commission of Experts, 5 July 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 34732-34763, at 34734.
Alleged Activity :
       According to reports submitted to the Commission of Experts, Milan Lukic from the village of Rusti in Visegrad, BiH, commanded paramilitary forces operating in the Visegrad region. Lukic's forces allegedly abducted two sets of Muslim civilians who have since disappeared. He is also accused of murder, deliberate destruction of Muslim property, and molestation of young Muslim women at the «Vilina Vlas» and «Bikavac» hotels. *499
       A report, based on information received from the BiH Ministry of Internal Affairs, states that on 18 June 1992, 22 Muslims were killed on the new bridge in Visegrad by Lukic and his men. According to the report, the Lukic forces killed the civilians by various methods : children were dropped from the bridge and shot before they hit the water, others died when their kidneys were torn out, and some were tied to car bumpers and dragged through the streets. The report states that Lukic's forces did not act alone on 18 June but were linked with members of the Popovic Group (another paramilitary group operating in Visegrad at the time and commanded by Srpko Popovic). *500
       Milan Lukic and his men allegedly abducted 16 Sandzak Muslims from the village of Sjeverin on 22 October 1992. According to Amnesty International, eight armed and masked men boarded a bus the victims were travelling in as it entered BiH in the Visegrad municipality. The men then escorted the Muslim passengers off the bus and onto an army truck. The truck, which had no license plates, carried the civilians towards the town of Visegrad. According to witnesses, the Muslims were told that they were to be exchanged for Serbs who were captured the night before. The Belgrade newspaper, Borba, citing military sources in Serbia, reported that the Muslims were killed near Visegrad later that same day. *501
       On 19 February 1993, Lukic's forces allegedly performed a similar operation at the Strpci train station in BiH. Witnesses state that 19 Muslim passengers on the train were abducted by paramilitary forces under Milan Lukic. The forces all wore camouflage with «Cetnik insignia». The victims were led onto a military truck and driven away from the train station. *502
       Lukic was reportedly arrested and detained briefly in relation to both of these incidents on 26 October 1992 and again in February 1993. According to Amnesty International, the leaders of the «Serb Republic of BiH» deny the existence of paramilitary forces in the Visegrad region and refer to Lukic and his paramilitary forces as «volunteers» fighting under the command of the Visegrad Brigade. However, according to Borba, Lukic's forces were not controlled by the army or the local authorities in Visegrad. *503



Name of Unit : Martic's Police or Militia (Marticevci)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Reportedly had access to federal army uniforms.
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Krajina, Banija, Kordun, Slavonia.
Area(s) of Operation : Regions of Krajina, Kordun, Banija, Western Slavonia, Eastern Slavonia, Croatia; and Brcko, Doboj, and Hadzici Counties, BiH.
Political Affiliation : Affiliated with Milan Martic, former police chief and Interior Minister of the Krajina region, and currently the president of the RSK.
Leader(s) : Milan Martic, Captain Dragan, Dane Bunjevac (unit commander of Krajina militia in Plaski), *504 Mladenovic (local commander in UNPA Sector East) *505
Identified Members : Five identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
  • M. Cherif Bassiouni, Reports Obtained During the Commission Mission to the Former Yugoslavia -- April 1993, 11 May 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 15899-906.
  • Meriel Beattie, «At Least Four Dead in Fresh Battles Between Serbs and Croats», Reuters, 14 August 1991, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • «Belgrade Radio Reports Martic's Claim of 30 Killed in Ljubovo», BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 5 July 1991.
  • Nesho Djuric, «Serbian Guerrillas Fight for Croatian Territory», UPI, 19 August 1991, available in LEXIS, News Library, UPI File.
  • Alan Ferguson, «Belgrade Puts Pressure on Rebellious Republics», Toronto Star, 26 June 1991, at A1.
  • «The Fighting in Croatia in Brief», BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 25 July 1991. Merie
  • Donald Forbes, «Croats and Serb Guerrillas Fight in a Dozen Towns», Reuters, 11 September 1991, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • Misha Glenny, The Fall of Yugoslavia (1993).
  • Blaine Harden, «Guerrillas, Army Shell Croatian City; Republics' Leaders Open Peace Talks», Washington Post, 21 August 1991, at A8.
  • Peter Humphrey, «Bosnia Holds Emergency Defence Meeting after Serb Incursion», Reuters, 9 June 1991, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • David C. Isby, «Yugoslavia 1991 -- Armed Forces in Conflict», Jane's Intelligence Review, September 1991, IHRLI Doc. No. 26349A1-26349A63, at 26349A26.
  • Jonathan S. Landay, «Dispute Over Army Role in Croatia Focus of Presidency Meeting», UPI, 26 July 1991, available in LEXIS, News Library, UPI File.
  • Letter from Citizens of Siroka Kula and Relatives of Missing Persons to ECMM (Zagreb), 15 January 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 19122-19126.
  • Tyler Marshall, «Serbs and Croats Face Off Along Frontier of Hatred», Los Angeles Times, 14 July 1991, at 1.
  • Ministry of Information, Republic of Croatia, Concerning the Implication of Persons and Institutions from the Republic of Serbia in Terrorist Acts Carried Out in the Republic of Croatia, IHRLI Doc. No. 18476- 485.
  • «Other Report on Croatian Conflict», BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 2 August 1991.
  • Report of the Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984.
  • «The Sandzak Referendum in Brief», BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 4 November 1991, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • State Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulletin, No. 2, February 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29792-840, at 29827-828.
  • Note from Anne-Marie Thalman, Humanitarian Affairs Officer Civil Affairs, to Georg Mautner-Markof, Chief, Special Procedures Section, Centre for Human Rights, Zagreb, 19 November 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 49183-201 at 49197.
  • Report on Statements about Violations of the Second Protocol to the Geneva Conventions Concerning Slunj, the Surrounding Villages Situated in the Regions South of Slunj and Villages in the Municipality of Korenica, IHRLI Doc. No. 55082-117.
  • Dessa Trevisan, «Croat Police Given Army Ultimatum», The Times, 3 April 1993, available in LEXIS, News Library, Curnws File.
  • UNPROFOR, Allegations of Human Rights Violations, 22 April 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 24426-24800 at 24432, 24439.
  • UNPROFOR, Press Summary Belgrade, 19 October 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 45390-393, at 45390.
  • US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 34165-203 at 34170.
  • Eileen Yin, «Yugoslav Political Leaders Hold Crucial Talks on Country's Future», UPI, 22 July 1991, available in LEXIS, News Library, UPI File. «Yugoslav Army Halts Croat-Serb Conflict», Washington Times, 1 April 1991, at A2.
Alleged Activity :
       Milan Martic became the most prominent organizer of Serbian militia forces in the Krajina region of Croatia. When the armed conflict between Croatians and Serbians began in the Serb strong- hold of Knin in August 1990, Martic served as the local Serb police chief and military organizer. Martic apparently continued as the leader of the Krajina militia when Croatian Serbs declared the autonomous region of «SAO Krajina» in March 1991 and when the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) was established. Martic served for a long period as the Interior Minister of the RSK and was elected president of the RSK in January 1994.
       It is difficult to establish Martic's role in particular military and paramilitary activities. The reports submitted to the Commission of Experts do not clearly delineate Martic's authority over the various paramilitary groups which operated in the Serbian-controlled regions of Croatia and do not clearly signify how Martic's authority may have expanded or diminished as his own role within the rump RSK government changed. While Martic, as the Knin police chief and RSK Interior Minister, clearly controlled a large force of police and police reservists, it is not clear how this force was related to the «SAO Krajina Militia», which has also been closely identified with Martic. A number of reports mention both Martic and a Krajina militias, suggesting that they may have been different forces. *506 The organization of a RSK army separate from Krajina militia and police forces is not well understood, but by October 1993, the Politika newspaper reported that the RSK military supported RSK President Goran Hadzic, while the police backed Interior Minister Martic in their political disputes. *507 For these reasons, this report summarizes only the activities of groups clearly identified as Martic forces.
       Most of the reports on which this summary is based do not describe the personal involvement of Martic in planning or executing actions attributed to Martic forces. They are connected to him only because reports describe the groups involved as Marticevci, Martic Police or Martic Militia. An exception is the report from Croatian authorities, stating that Martic met with Komazec Ozren and Adam Davor on 10 April 1991 and instructed them to ignite explosives in Zadar, which they allegedly did. *508
       Serbs in Croatia began to organize paramilitary forces in 1990, prior to the declaration of an independent Serbian Krajina within the borders of Croatia. By mid-July 1990, the paramilitary forces reportedly had an estimated 12,000 members. *509 The forces commanded by or loyal to Milan Martic were known as Marticevci. In an interview reported in July 1991, Martic claimed that the Krajina forces he commanded had 7,000 police regulars and 20,000 reservists. *510 Several reports indicate that Captain Dragan commanded one of the Marticevci forces, *511 but the links between Captain Dragan and Martic are not clear.
       When the Serbs in Knin declared the autonomous region of «SAO Krajina», Martic headed the Secretariat of Internal Affairs (SUP) of the government led by Milan Babic. *512 As Interior Minister and military organizer, Martic was widely regarded as effective in building the strength of the Krajina militia. *513 Initially, the Marticevci was comprised largely of ethnic Serbian members of the existing Croatian police forces. Serbian members of Territorial Defence Forces and volunteers from other parts of Yugoslavia also joined the militia loyal to Martic. *514
       In the early stage of the conflict, Marticevci police forces attacked Croatian police stations and clashed with Croatian police forces in several villages. Federal army units were deployed to separate the Croatian and Serbian police after the battle for control of the Plitvice National Park, during which two people were killed. *515
       Following the fighting in the Plitvice region, the Serb authorities in Knin announced that they were uniting with the Republic of Serbia. Martic claimed that Serbian President Milosevic had promised weapons and assistance to the Krajina Serbs if they came under attack. Officials in Serbia did not comment on his remarks. *516
       The Republic of Serbia and the Serb-dominated federal army reportedly backed the Marticevci and other Serb insurgents in Croatia. The Marticevci had access to federal uniforms, maps, vehicles, and weapons. *517 The federal army also fought with the militias against Croatian forces, even as federal army officials continued to insist that the army was only acting as a buffer between Croatian and rebel Serb forces. *518
       Following the Croatian declaration of independence on 25 June 1991, the Serbian rebels attacked the Croatian police station in Glina. Three policemen were killed and seven injured. On 2 July Krajina militia forces attacked Croatian police in Licki Osik, and, according to Martic, 10 people were killed. *519 Other Croatian villages were reportedly attacked as well. The federal army moved to separate the Croatian and Serbian fighters; Croatian sources claimed that the army was protecting the rebels. *520
       Marticevci forces and Croatian forces clashed often during the summer and fall of 1991. Fighting erupted in the regions of Krajina, Banija, Kordun and Western and Eastern Slavonia. Numerous cities and villages were engulfed in the conflict, including Gospic, Zadar, *521 Vinkovci, Mirkovci, Josipdol, *522 Dvor na Uni, *523 Plaski, *524 Selo Plastovo, Sibenik, Otocac, *525 Beli Manastir, Borovo Selo, Borovo Naselje, Topusko, *526 Pakrac, and Okucani. *527
       Federal army and Serbian rebel forces jointly attacked Croatian towns and villages on several occasions. On 21 August 1991, the combined forces shelled Osijek, killing three civilians and damaging a cathedral and apartment buildings. *528 The army did not deny taking part in the shelling but claimed that it was responding to an attack by the Croatian National Guard on a federal army installation near the city. *529 On 28 August 1991, the village of Korana in Slunj County was allegedly attacked by army tankfire and Martic forces. Women and children reportedly fled from the village, while the fate of 20 remaining Croatian men is unknown. The village was allegedly destroyed. *530
       The federal army also allegedly followed a pattern of occupying Croatian towns and villages after attacks by Marticevci and other rebel forces. Therefore, even when the army did not directly participate in the fighting, it helped rebel Serb forces gain control of a large portion of Croatia. *531
       In addition to fighting other armed forces, the Marticevci and other Serb rebels have been accused of attacking civilians, «ethnic cleansing», and abuses in detention.
       «Ethnic Cleansing» and Attacks on Civilians : Members of the Martic Police and Yugoslav Army allegedly killed civilians, burned houses, and looted property in Saborsko from 1 August to 12 November 1991. During this period, 40 civilians were killed and 34 people were reported missing in Saborsko. *532
       In the village of Siroka Kula during August to October 1991, Martic police forces based in Licki Osik allegedly restricted the movement of Croatian villagers, cut off telephone links, and subjected prisoners to forced labour. Citizens of Siroka Kula were allegedly tortured and killed, but it is unclear whether Martic police or other paramilitaries were responsible. *533
       Approximately 70 members of Martic's group, along with other paramilitaries, were responsible for «ethnic cleansing» in the area of Donji Vakuf. *534
       In December 1991, a named man and other members of Martic's police killed civilians, burned houses and evicted people from their homes in the Croatian villages of Smilcic, Sopot and Paljuv. *535
       In December 1991, about 22 Croatian citizens were killed in their homes by Martic's militia, reportedly in retaliation for 19 Martic members allegedly killed while fighting against the Croatian Army. *536
       A named member of Martic's Militia, along with members of the Territorial Defence of SAO Krajina, allegedly attacked civilians in Catrnja on several occasions. On 1 June 1992, he reportedly killed a civilian man from Catrnja; on another occasion, he killed three women from the village and then burned their bodies. *537
       Abuses in Detention : Martic's militia and other paramilitary groups allegedly organized camps and prisons in Croatia at Beli Manastir, Knin, Stara Gradiska, Glina, Titova Korenica, Zeljava, and Bucje. *538 In these camps, civilians, Croatian Army troops, and Croatian Ministry of Interior troops were mistreated and executed. *539
       Martic and his forces imprisoned Croatian policemen in several cities. Croatian authorities alleged that two Croatian policemen from Sibenik were arrested by Martic in Civljane on 1 April 1991, and detained for 15 days. According to one account, 120 Croatian policemen were being held in Knin on 26 June 1991, and Martic threatened to capture more. *540 According to a Belgrade radio report, eight Croatian policemen from Dvor na Uni were imprisoned in Knin in July 1991, at which time the Knin prison contained 42 members of Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) forces. *541
       In September 1991, six members of Martic's militia were accused of torturing and terrorizing imprisoned civilians and members of the Croatian Army held at the fortress in Knin. *542
       On 31 December 1991, three Croatian soldiers travelling from Podgradina to Novigrad were captured in Paljuv by members of the ex-Yugoslav army and handed over to members of the Martic police forces. Martic's men allegedly killed one of the soldiers with a bullet to the head; the fate of the other two is unknown. *543
       Martic police allegedly arrested a Catholic priest from Dreznik in the Kordun region and imprisoned him in Titova Korenica. *544
       Marticevci Activity in BiH : In addition to the widespread involvement of the Marticevci in the conflict in Croatia, Martic forces also operated in BiH. On 8 June 1991, a special battalion of the SUP staged a one-day exercise in Titov Drvar to gauge combat-readiness. The exercise was reportedly commanded by Martic, who stated that there would be further exercises in BiH and that the exercise had erased the border between Krajina and BiH. *545
       In October 1991, a group of Marticevci allegedly stormed a polling station in Hadzici near Sarajevo, to stop voting on a referendum on Sandzak autonomy. *546
       Martic forces from Bosanska Krajina were allegedly the last Serbian forces to hold Brcko following the Serbian attack which began on 1 May 1992. *547
       Martic forces were allegedly involved in the Serbian attack on Doboj, which began on 3 May 1992. A husband and wife were attacked and robbed by Serbian soldiers, identified by the victims as the «Martic gang». The man was beaten and cut with a knife; his wife was raped. *548



Name of Unit : Montenegro Guard
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Camouflage with white cloth tied around the left shoulder
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Foca County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 62612- 62877, at 62782-62786.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the US Government, the Montenegro Guard participated in «ethnic cleansing» operations in Jelec, a village near Miljevina in south-eastern BiH. Allegedly, the Montenegro Guard and members of other paramilitary units, including the White Eagles and the Vukovar Unit, shelled the town and killed remaining Muslim civilians after 23 April 1992. The raid on Jelec began on 18 April 1992, when paramilitary forces blocked the roads to the town and ordered Muslims to surrender their weapons by 22 April to a Bosnian Serb delegation at the military complex in Miljevina. On 23 April Serb forces began shelling Jelec and the surrounding villages, forcing the residents into hiding in the surrounding hills. The Montenegro Guard and other ground forces moved into Jelec on 4 May. They arrived in seven military buses and were given orders to search the area for Muslims. At least 16 Muslims were allegedly shot and buried in two graves in a potato field one kilometre west of Jelec. *549



Name of Unit : Radoja Nikolic's Paramilitary Groups
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Zvornik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Radoja Nikolic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 57229, at 56879.
Alleged Activity :
       Radoja Nikolic allegedly led Serbian paramilitary groups in Grbavci near Zvornik. *550



Name of Unit : Special Forces from Niksic
Ethnicity : Montenegro Serbs
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Niksic, Montenegro, FRY
Area(s) of Operation : Gacko County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Submission from David Hepburn, ECMM Liason Officer, UK Mission, to the Commission of Experts, 29 April 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 20269-20546, at 20271-20285.
Alleged Activity :
       Witnesses from the villages around Gacko, BiH, stated that in June 1992, their villages were destroyed and Muslim civilians were tortured and killed by Niksic paramilitary forces, White Eagles, local Serbs and JNA soldiers. On 18 and 19 June, the villages in the area allegedly were shelled, and Muslims were rounded up for interrogation and transportated to Trebinje. Many of the civilians fled into the forests in the nearby mountains from where they could see the paramilitary forces moving through the villages and burning the homes. *551
       According to one witness, many of the civilians hiding in the forests surrendered on 12 July 1992. They were taken in military trucks to Gacko and interrogated at the police station, where witnesses reported many village possessions were stored. The civilians were asked where their male relatives could be found. The male Muslim prisoners were reportedly held in the basement of a hotel in the suburbs of Gacko. *552
       Eventually, in late July, the women and children were deposited at the front-line near Berkovici, where Serb forces were fighting members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO). The civilians were forced to cross the battle lines over minefields towards the HVO who fed them and transferred them to Mostar, Capljina, or Ljubuski, BiH. *553
       Witnesses from the Gacko region alleged that the Serbian forces, including the forces from Niksic, destroyed and looted villages, blew up at least one bridge, shot and burned some civilians and mutilated others. Witnesses stated that almost none of the Muslim males from the area survived. *554



Name of Unit : Paramilitary Forces from Padinska Skela
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Large, black cowboy hats with ribbons
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Padinska Skela, FRY
Area(s) of Operation : Zvornik County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Report on `Ethnic Cleansing Operations' in the North-Eastern Bosnian City of Zvornik, 6 April 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 63984-64023, at 63996.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, paramilitary forces from Padinska Skela participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH, along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, Seseljovci, Dusan the Great, Anticevci, the White Eagles, Captain Dragan's men, the Vukovar Unit, and others. *555



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces under Risto Perisic
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Visegrad County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Risto Perisic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Statement of Hidajeta Omerovic, Security Department, Ministry of Interior, Republic of BiH, Case File 353/1992 (5 July 1992) IHRLI Doc. No. 34732-759, at 34734.
Alleged Activity :
       Risto Perisic, President of the Serbian community, was one of the organizers of «ethnic cleansing» in the Visegrad region. He was formerly a teacher of Serbo-Croatian. *556



Name of Unit : Popovic Group
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Visegrad, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Srpko Popovic
Alleged Members : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Zdravko Grebo, Report Sent to Tadeusz Mazowiecki, 19 November 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 49183-49201, at 49192- 49193.
Alleged Activity :
       The Popovic Group was reportedly involved in the deaths of 22 Muslims in Visegrad on 18 June 1992. The Popovic unit worked with forces under Milan Lukic to kill Muslim civilians. A report also states that the Popovic Group killed many Muslims at the Visegrad Electric Plant and threw the corpses into the Drina river. The Popovic Group burned a group of 60 civilians in a house, drowned victims by tying them up and throwing them into the river, and looted Muslim homes in Visegrad. According to the report, Popovic once killed 17 civilians in a single day. *557



Name of Unit : Radosavljevic/Lukic Unit
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Podravska Slatina County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : Serbian Democratic Party (SDS)
Leader(s) : Borivoje Lukic and Borivoje Radosavljevic
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • Republic of Croatia, Report to the Commission of Experts, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984, at 2810.
  • Amnesty International, Yugoslavia : Further Report on the Deliberate Killings in the War Zone, 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 3538-3565, at 3544.
Alleged Activity :
       During June 1990, the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) was established in Podravska Slatina, led by lawyer Ilija Sasic. Party members armed themselves and established «camps for the education of terrorists» *558 in Vocin, Sekulinci, Bucje, Zvecevo and Ceralije. On 19 August 1991, a «terroristic unit» under the command of Borivoje Lukic and Borivoje Radosavljevic disarmed and mistreated Croatian policemen at the police station in Vocin. *559 On the same day, «Cetniks» *560 harassed Croatians in the «Prevenda» quarter of the city, searching their homes and confiscating their weapons. While Serbians remained in control of Vocin, Croatians were tortured and arrested, and suffered forced labour and property confiscation. When the «Cetniks» retreated on 12-13 December 1991, they killed Croatian civilians in Vocin, Hum, Kraskovic and Bokane. Public and private buildings were destroyed, including the Catholic church in Vocin.



Name of Unit : Radulovic Irregulars *561
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Zecovi (county unknown), BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Prijedor County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : Three identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 57229, at 56883.
Alleged Activity :
       Several members of this group were identified for their alleged violations in locations not identified for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *562



Name of Unit : Forces under Braco Rakanovic
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : 3
Origin : Gorazde County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Gorazde County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Braco Rakanovic
Alleged Members : Two identified people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    State Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes in the Republic of BiH, Bulletin, No. 3, March 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29841-29884, at 29875.
Alleged Activity :
       Several members of this group were identified for their alleged violations in locations not identified for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *563



Name of Unit Rambos
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Webbed masks, black gloves, and black ribbons tied around their foreheads
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Prijedor County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Genocide : Ethnic Cleansing in Northwestern Bosnia (Ante Beljo ed., 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 39889-40025, at 39953.
Alleged Activity :
       According to one witness, the Rambos carved the Cetnik insignia (four cyrillic S's) into a victim's chest, cut the sinews in one individual's leg and the spine of another so that he was instantly paralysed. *564 The witness noted that the Rambos were sexually aggressive and assaulted both men and women interned in the camp. On one occasion, the men allegedly took five 13 year-old girls to a private home and returned them the following day, bearing obvious signs of abuse. A resident physician managed to suture two of the victims, but the others had to be sent to the hospital in Prijedor. *565 In another incident, the Rambos chopped off the testicles and gouged out the eyes of a Czechoslovakian medic. *566



Name of Unit Red Berets
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Nis, Serbia, FRY
Area(s) of Operation : Brcko, Doboj, Prijedor and Teslic Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A *567
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
  • US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 57229, at 56328-56329, 57050.
  • Victim Testimonies submitted by Dr. Christina Doctare, WHO (Jan. 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 39240A-39265A, at 39242A.
  • Zdravko Grebo, Report Sent to Tadeusz Mazowiecki, 19 November 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 49183-49201, at 49197.
  • UNPROFOR Daily Situation Report, 30 December 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 8275-8276, at 8276.
Alleged Activity :
       In late December 1992, UNCIVPOL and local police authorities inspected a Red Beret camp near Bapska village. The UNPROFOR report, which described the inspection, did not specify the incident under investigation or the nature of the camp. *568
       On 1 May 1992, Red Berets from Nis arrested two Bosnian Muslim brothers at the railway station in Brcko, while trying to escape from the city. The men were taken to the Luka prison camp, where they were mistreated and witnessed many atrocities. *569
       In May 1992, Red Berets participated in the attack on Gornja Puharska, a village of about 300 Muslim families and six Croatian families. On 17 May regular JNA forces surrounded and attacked the village. On 29 May, Red Berets entered the village in tanks, accompanied by some non-uniformed Bosnian Serb irregular forces. *570 The village surrendered and all the men were taken 23 kilometres south-east to Omarska on two buses and a cattle truck. Women and children remained in the village. At Omarska, Red Berets, JNA, and police provided security and coordinated guard shifts. *571
       Red Beret troops allegedly raped women at the Secondary School Centre in Doboj. One victim reported that three Red Berets (whom she believed were part of the Knin Corps) raped her simultaneously after she had been taken to the school by other «Cetniks». *572
       Red Beret formations from Banja Luka participated in the «ethnic cleansing» of the Teslic region, along with the Serbian Militia and the Armada Forces of the Serbian Republic of BiH. These groups also mistreated 600 prisoners in four prisons in the region, particularly in Banja Vrucica where 300 Muslims were imprisoned. *573



Name of Unit : SAO Krajina Militia
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Dragovic, Pakrac County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Croatian Information Centre, Weekly Bulletin, No. 2, 16 August 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 34954-34957, at 34955.
Alleged Activity :
       On 12 April 1993, five armed members of the SAO Krajina Militia robbed a Croatian family of money, valuables and a vehicle in the village of Dragovic, 400 metres from an UNPROFOR checkpoint. The family was released with the assistance of UNPROFOR and local police. According to witnesses, the SAO Krajina militia wore uniforms which were different from the regular army. *574



Name of Unit : Momir Savic's Cetniks
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Visegrad County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Momir Savic
Alleged Members : Six identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Statement of Hidajeta Omerovic, Security Department, Ministry of Interior, Republic of BiH, Case File 353/1992 (5 July 1992), IHRLI Doc. No. 34732- 34759, at 34734.
Alleged Activity :
       Momir Savic, an independent toolmaker, allegedly organized «ethnic cleansing» in the Visegrad region. On 13 April 1992, he and his Cetniks reportedly set fire to the villages of Repusevici, Jarci, Brezje, Sip, Bodeznik, Bluz and Moremeslje. They reportedly stole humanitarian aid, but their actions worsened after the Uzice corps left Visegrad on 18 June 1992. They then harassed and arrested Muslims, defaced a mosque, and destroyed the property of Muslims. *575



Name of Unit : Serbian Democratic Party Forces (Srpska Demokratska Stranka) (SDS)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Vukovar County and the Crna Gora Region, Croatia
Area(s) of Operation : Gacko and Sarajevo Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : Serbian Democratic Party
Leader(s) : Miso Radulovic, Vojin Popovic
Alleged Members : Five identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. Nos. 62693, 62711, 62712, 62713.
Alleged Activity :
       The State Department reported that the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS), along with members of the Banja Luka Corps, attacked the village of Kozarac on 23 May 1992. *576 The strength of their combined force was approximately 3,000 men, 70 T-84 and T-55 tanks, and an unknown number of armoured personnel carriers. Miso Radulovic, commander of the SDS troops, and a large number of his troops were reportedly from Vukovar and the Crna Gora region in Croatia.
       Seven hundred Muslim villagers defended Kozarac for three days. Approximately 4,500 residents of the village were killed in direct fighting and by artillery and tank shelling. Once the Serbian force had taken the village, hundreds of Muslims fled to the forest. The SDS and Banja Luka Corps forces mined the perimetre of the forest to prevent Muslims from finding refuge there. As a result, many Muslims were killed or badly wounded.
       A named member of the SDS Central Committee was located in Pale where he worked for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the «Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina». He helped arm local Serbs with weapons obtained from the JNA and actively participated in the arrest of Muslim intellectuals outside Sarajevo by providing lists with their names and addresses for Serbian paramilitary units. *577
       Another identified member was the former Deputy Commander of the District Highway Patrol Police in Sarajevo. *578 He joined the SDS in early 1992 and was a commander of troops in Stari Grad in April 1993. He worked with JNA officers to coordinate an attack on an army depot at Feletici in May 1992, during which over 20,000 weapons were taken. He and a man named Drago Sucur also participated in ethnic cleansing in the area around Stari Grad. *579
       Another identified member headed the police department in Gacko county and the SDS in Gacko. *580 Popovic came to Gacko from Serbia in early 1992. He ordered a named man to rid Gacko County of its non-Serbian population. Within two or three weeks, all Muslims were killed, sent to Macedonia, or to camps in Serb-held areas.
       Another identified member was a former chief inspector in the Sarajevo Internal Affairs Department and a member of the SDS. *581 Before the war, he was a prominent Communist. As of mid-April 1993, he was the main political advisor to the commander of the Kolacki Battalion near Sokolac. During mid-July 1992, this battalion participated in attacks on a number of refugee settlements, including the village of Sahbegovici, where 60 Muslim women and children were killed. *582



Name of Unit : Six Districts (Sesta Krajiska)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Banja Luka County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Sanski Most County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 56320- 56816, at 56632-56633.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the US Government, on 9 May 1992, the Sesta Krajiska, or Six Districts paramilitary unit, attacked Sanski Most, occupying the police station and other municipal buildings there. Seventeen days after the Sesta Krajiska attack, Sanski Most was invaded by the Serbian Regular army. The Sesta Krajiska allegedly was from Banja Luka and regularly conducted small-scale military operations in support of the Serbian troops in BiH. *583



Name of Unit : SOS (Srpske Oruzane Snage)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Red berets and arm patches depicting white wolves
Number of Troops : Approximately 12 members
Origin : Belgrade, Pancevo, and Valjevo, Serbia; many had come from Serbia as part of Arkan's Forces.
Area(s) of Operation : Area from Brcko County to Banja Luka County, including Bosanski Samac, Modrica, Odzak, Derventa, and Bosanski Brod Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Crni (Blackie), Lugar (Ranger)
Alleged Members : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 62684.
Alleged Activity :
       Members of the Srpske Oruzane Snage (SOS) came to BiH as part of Arkan's Forces, but later operated independently. The SOS were reportedly extremely violent, looted property, and killed Serbs, Muslims and Croats.
       The two leaders of the SOS, Crni and Lugar, allegedly killed about 5,000 people in the Brcko area with firearms and knives. *584 They were reportedly criminals before the war and were incarcerated in the Kazneno-Popravni Dom Prison in Raska. *585 Crni and Lugar both are described by the witness. *586
       A witness alleged that the 12 SOS members were finally charged with looting and killing and locked up in Stara Gradiska Prison only because of the international community's awareness. *587 Witnesses claimed that the SOS members were allowed to wander freely through the prison and repeatedly beat other inmates. No dates are indicated in relation to SOS activities.



Name of Unit : Paramilitary forces under Joja Tintor
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : Over 1,000
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Pale and Vogosca Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : Eighty members were affiliated with the SDS.
Leader(s) : Joja Tintor and four men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and proseuctorial reasons
Alleged Members : Twelve identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    BiH Bulletin No. 3, March 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29841-29884, at 29868-29870.
Alleged Activity :
       According to a witness, over 1,000 Serbian irregular forces, 150 soldiers from Rajlovac and Butile barracks, and 80 SDS extremists, entered Ahatovici and Dobrosevici in south-east BiH on 1 June 1992 and killed approximately 20 Muslim men. The Serb forces also wounded several others and looted and set fire to Muslim homes. On 2 June 1992, Serb extremists mined and destroyed the mosque in Ahatovici. During the Serb attack, Serbian irregulars, under the command of Joja Tintor, also captured 400 women and children and 80 men. *588
       Previously, Serb forces captured 150 people from the villages Dobrosevici, Bojnik, and Mihaljevici in Vogosca, BiH. The Serb forces beat 15 of the men, and eventually transferred them to Rajlovac, where they were held for 12 days. In Rajlovac, Serb guards beat and killed one of the prisoners. A named guard took 55 prisoners by bus to a supposed prisoner exchange. However, when the bus reached Sokolina, near Srednje, the Serb guards left the bus. Serbs troops in the surrounding hills then fired on the bus with rocket launchers, bazookas, and infantry weapons. Forty-seven of the prisoners reportedly died in the attack. *589



Name of Unit : Commander Turtle's Units
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Foca, Visegrad and Cajnice Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : A man identified by the pseudonym of Dusko Kornjaca («Commander Turtle»)
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Peter Maas, «In Bosnia War, A Serb Doctor Becomes `Commander Turtle,'» Washington Post, 12 September 1992, available in LEXIS News Library, Curnws File.
Alleged Activity :
       «Dusko Kornjaca», *590 a doctor, is allegedly a Bosnian Serb warlord who fought under the name of «Commander Turtle». He also held the titles of «Defence Minister of the Serbian Autonomous Region of Hercegovina» and «Commander of the Cajnice War Committee». As of September 1992, he was the boss of portions of eastern BiH, including Foca and Visegrad. *591



Name of Unit : Uzice Corps
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Stocking masks
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Uzice, Serbia, FRY
Area(s) of Operation : Gorazde County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Supplemental US Submission of Information to the Commission of Experts, 12 April 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 11912-11946, at 11921.
Alleged Activity :
       A witness stated that in May 1992, the Uzice Corps shelled the Hotel Drina in Gorazde, which housed refugees, including women and children. According to the witness, masked paramilitary forces harassed the Muslim citizens of Gorazde for months. In mid-June, the witness saw Serbian forces in a settlement at the base of the Povrsnica mountain killing Muslims and throwing the corpses into the Drina River. *592



Name of Unit : Velebit Unit (Velebitska Jedinica)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Gracac County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
    Report of the Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984, at 2894.
Alleged Activity :
       On 20 July 1991, a named man and nine other members of the Velebit Unit allegedly shelled Lovinac in the municipality of Gracac, killing one local woman. According to a report of the Republic of Croatia, they attacked Lovinac again on 5 August. One civilian was killed, and a reserve policeman and a civilian were wounded. The perpetrators also caused significant property damage in the attack. The members of the Velebit Unit kidnapped five villagers from their houses and killed them about two kilometres from Lovinac, in the direction of Raduca. *593



Name of Unit : Visegrad Militia
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : White ribbons tied around the arms.
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Serbia and Visegrad County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Visegrad County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    State Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes in the Republic of BiH, Bulletin, No. 3, March 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29841-29884, at 29864.
Alleged Activity :
       A witness stated that he narrowly escaped when the house where he was detained was set afire by Visegrad Militia guards. The witness stated that many other prisoners died in the fire. On 13 June 1992, Radomir Djuric reportedly came to Koritnik and told the Muslims there that they would be evicted. The next day, men in camouflage with white ribbons tied to their upper arms entered the village and loaded 57 civilians onto buses which headed towards Visegrad. At a Serbian checkpoint on a bridge outside Visegrad, the civilians were searched and forced to surrender their money and jewelry. The prisoners were then transferred to a house where the women were taken for what the guards called «interrogations». *594
       The witness claimed that there were already five prisoners in the house near the checkpoint where the villagers were detained. At 10:30 a.m., one of the guards threw a torch into the house and fired his machine-gun into the rooms holding prisoners. The witness escaped through a window and ran. In the field behind the house, he was fired upon, pretended he was shot, and lay as if dead. Throughout the night, he heard machine-guns firing and suspects that none of the other prisoners survived. *595



Name of Unit : The Visors
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Area(s) of Operation : Glina County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    Report of the Republic of Croatia Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 780 of 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2794-2984, at 2886.
Alleged Activity :
       According to a report from the Republic of Croatia, 22 Croatians, mostly elderly people, were killed in Glinska Josevica village on 16 December 1993, by a special Territorial Defence unit, the Visors. The victims were killed in their own homes with guns fitted with silencers. The Croatian report claims that Serbian authorities in Glina initiated that attack as revenge for the death of 19 members of Territorial Defence units, killed in battle with the Croatian Army. *596



Name of Unit : Weekenders (Vikendasi)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Bijeljina County, BiH
Area(s) of Operation : Brcko County, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 34165- 34203, at 34186.
Alleged Activity :
       According to the US Government, the Weekenders are a group of Serbian men from Bijeljina who went to Brcko each weekend to plunder and vandalize. Apparently, they began raiding Brcko in May 1992, after the Arkanovci and the JNA attacked the town. They continued their raids during the entire time that the JNA occupied Brcko. *597



Name of Unit : White Eagles (Beli Orlovi)
Ethnicity : Serbian
Uniform : Camouflage with white eagle patches or white bands on the shoulders; also military and civilian clothes with headbands and hats bearing Kokarda insignia; former JNA Young Officer and Squad Leader uniforms
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : N/A
Areas of Operation : Vukovar County, Croatia and Bileca, Gacko, Visegrad, Bosanska Krupa, Banja Luka, and Prijedor Counties, BiH
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : Nine identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Alleged Members : Nineteen identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons
Source(s) :
  • Republic of BiH, Letter from President Alija Izetbegovic to U.N. Security Council, 4 September 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 91.
  • Republic of BiH, Report from Ministry of Internal Affairs, Security Service Centre, 22 September 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 35683.
  • Republic of BiH, Report from Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Security Department, 7 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 33299, 33248.
  • Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Report on `Ethnic Cleansing Operations' in the North-Eastern Bosnian City of Zvornik, 6 April 1994, IHRLI Doc. No. 63984-64023, at 63996.
  • Republic of Croatia, Report Submitted to the Commission of Experts, 5 October 1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 2842.
  • US State Department, Supplemental US Submission to U.N. Security Council, 12 April 1993, IHRLI Doc. Nos. 11915, 11916, 11922, 11923, 11925, 11945.
  • Croatian Information Centre, Croatia-BiH : War Crimes Committed by the Yugoslav Army, 1991-1992, IHRLI Doc. No. 15123.
  • Croatian Information Centre, Written Statement, 3 November 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 11663, 11679.
  • State Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes in Republic of BiH, Bulletin, February 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29819.
  • State Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes in Republic of BiH, Bulletin, March 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 29843.
  • Canadian Croatian Information Congress (Ontario), Undated Report, IHRLI Doc. No. 43864, 43892. European Community Monitoring Mission, Report on Inter- Ethnic Violence in Vitez, Busovaca, and Zenica - April 1993, 17 May 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 20271-20512.
  • European Community Monitoring Mission, Report of Gacko Region, 27 January 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 5892-95, 6594- 6595.
  • An official source, IHRLI Doc. No. 29762.
  • Letter from Danny Hynes, DHRC Belgrade, to Kim Steendahl, HQ ECMM Info Section, in Submission from Kim Steendahl to the Commission of Experts (1 July 1993), IHRLI Doc. No. 25124-25164, at 25126.
  • Department of State, Submission to the U.N. Commission of Experts, IHRLI Doc. No. 54458-62864.
Alleged Activity :
       A named man allegedly gathered and trained forces called the White Eagles to operate in BiH as the paramilitary wing of the Serbian Peoples' Renewal Party (SNO). Apparently, the SNO volunteer troops never fought in BiH or Croatia. However, paramilitary groups with no formal link to the SNO co-opted the name «White Eagles» and operated independently during the conflict. *598 White Eagles groups allegedly operated in Bileca, Gacko, Visegrad, Bosanska Krupa, Banja Luka, Prijedor, and Zvornik Counties in BiH. White Eagles also allegedly participated in attacks in Vukovar County, Croatia.
       White Eagles reportedly worked with the JNA, Uzice Territorial Defence Forces, Dusan the Great, Arkanovci, Marticevci, Seseljovci, Niksic Special Forces, Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) forces, SUP, and local police. In Vukovar, the White Eagles and other groups reportedly received weapons from the JNA. *599 White Eagles units reportedly targeted Muslim and Croatian civilians and rarely engaged enemy soldiers. *600 The White Eagles allegedly beat, raped, and killed Muslims and Croats on the roads, in villages, and in camps.
       White Eagles units allegedly entered Gacko in March 1992 with the JNA, SUP, Niksic Special Forces, an «Interviewing Platoon», and local police. *601 The Serbian forces blockaded the city, detained civilians at the Hotel Rudnik or at the Gacko power plant, and destroyed Muslim cafes, shops, homes, and cars. *602 Members of the paramilitary units searched the hills around Gacko on foot *603 and pounded the forests with artillery. *604
       In late June, the paramilitary forces told the Muslim civilians that they were free to leave Gacko. *605 However, approximately six kilometres outside the town, the White Eagles robbed and beat the fleeing Muslims. One of the Muslim men was reportedly burned alive. *606 The Serbs then returned the civilians to the Gacko «prisons» where, according to witnesses, some were tortured, disfigured, and killed by the guards. *607 Muslim women and girls were allegedly killed in the woods or raped at the Kosuta Motel. *608
       According to the European Community Monitoring Mission, the Interviewing Platoon and the White Eagles, who together ran operations in Gacko, maintained headquarters at the Hotel Rudnik, *609 the Kosuta Motel, and the Gacko police station. *610 Paramilitary leaders in Gacko were reportedly Veljo Lojevic (Deputy), Vojin Popovic (Chief of Police), Milan Vukovic (Inspector), Ranko Vujovic (Policeman), and Ozren Govedarica (leader of the White Eagles). *611
       White Eagles allegedly participated in «ethnic cleansing» in Rodic Brdo near Visegrad. *612 They worked as part of the Uzice Corps from early April until the end of May 1992 with the JNA, Uzice Territorial Defence Forces, and other Serb reservists. *613 In April, the Uzice Corps set up roadblocks and surrounded the village. Working from a list, they arrested the prominent Muslim civilians of the town and took them away. *614 The village fell under full control of the White Eagles on 25 May 1992.
       White Eagles arrested, interrogated, and killed Muslims in the villages of Grbavica and Kremalusa. *615 They came to these villages in early April and May 1992. *616 In Grbavica, the White Eagles reportedly killed the villagers and burned the corpses with the houses. *617 In Kremalusa, they surrounded the village, opened fire on the people with machine-guns and mortars, and burned the houses. *618 White Eagles units allegedly performed similar operations in Banja Luka, Bosanska Krupa, Novo Brcko, Filipovici, and Lovas. *619
       According to the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute, White Eagles participated in an attack on Zvornik in April 1992 as part of a paramilitary force consisting of Arkanovci, Seseljovci, Dusan the Great, Draganovci, the Vukovar Unit, and others. *620 The troops reportedly stayed in the Alhos and Jezero hotels. The White Eagles allegedly participated in the second wave of the attack and concentrated on the city of Zvornik and the later assault on Kulagrad. They were involved in the shelling, siege, and occupation and primarily responsible for arrests, deportation and looting. The report states that the White Eagles were often drunk and «provocative» and that they drew white eagles on houses and storage buildings. *621
       Allegedly the White Eagles' attack on Zvornik originated from nearby villages, across the BiH border with Serbia. Witnesses stated that the White Eagles wore mixed and matched JNA uniforms, which they modified by sewing white eagle badges on the caps and upper-arms. *622
       At Prnjavor Camp in Krajina, members of a White Eagles paramilitary unit beat and killed two prisoners, one on 17 May and the other on 6 June 1992. *623 At a detention camp in Bileca, White Eagles beat a Serb guard severely after he threw away the keys to the prison cells to prevent the White Eagles from beating the prisoners. Because they could not enter the cells, the White Eagles reportedly bombarded the prison with tear gas for five hours. *624 White Eagles also reportedly operated at the Keraterm and Stara Gradiska camps. *625
       Reports submitted to the Commission of Experts document White Eagles operations in the following locations : Banja Luka, Bileca, Bosanska Krupa, Bravnice, Brcko, Dusce, Gacko, Grbavica, Jelec, Kotor Varos, Kozarac, Kremalusa, Lovas, Paklenica, Filipovici, Prijedor, Rodic Brdo, Teslic, Trnopolje, Trosanj, Vukovar, and Zepa.
       Documents report White Eagle activity in the following camps : Prnjavor Camp, Keraterm Camp, Stajicevo Camp, Stara Gradiska Camp.
       The White Eagles also allegedly operated at the Hotel Rudnik and the Motel Kosuta.

D. Paramilitary groups from outside the former Yugoslavia




Name of Unit : Garibaldi Unit
Ethnicity : Italian
Uniform : N/A
Number of Troops : N/A
Origin : Italy
Area(s) of Operation : Zadar County, Croatia
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    «Croatian Serbs `Recruit Italian Fighters'», The Independent, 21 October 1993, at 12.
Alleged Activity :
       An uncertain number of Italians fought in Croatia on behalf of Serbian paramilitary commanders. *626 Captain Dragan, a Serbian commander, claimed that he deployed the Italian unit in the Velebit mountains north of Zadar, Croatia. The Belgrade news agency, Tanjug, reported that the unit carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions behind enemy lines. *627



Name of Unit : Russian Mercenaries
Ethnicity : Russian
Uniform : Black uniforms with black berets or flight caps
Number of Troops : 150
Origin : Russia
Area(s) of Operation : Eastern BiH, including Bijeljina County
Political Affiliation : N/A
Leader(s) : N/A
Alleged Members : N/A
Source(s) :
    US Department of State, 1993, IHRLI Doc. No. 62612- 877, at 62735-62737.
Alleged Activity :
       Croatian prisoners in Serb-run detention camps reported the presence of Russian troops in eastern BiH in February 1993. The prisoners were working as forced labourers for the Bosnian Serb army on the front line on Majevica Mountain. Sometime between 15 February and 3 March 1993, prisoners from the Batkovic detention camp were allegedly told not to go near the radio and television relay tower on the mountain because it was the headquarters for Russian soldiers aiding the Bosnian Serbs. A Serb guard reportedly said that the Russians, none below the rank of captain, deserted the Russian military when Boris Yeltsin came to power and belonged to a special unit of the Soviet Ministry of Defence. *628
       One morning between 20 February and 23 February, Croatian prisoners working on Majevica Mountain observed about 17 of the Russian soldiers, carrying AK weapons, returning to their base from the direction of Tuzla. The Russians were reportedly dressed in all-black, one-piece uniforms, and some wore black berets or flight caps. Serb guards said that the Russians had volunteered and received 200 Deutsche Marks monthly. *629
       Russian soldiers were also allegedly present at the Stepa Stepanovic barracks and prison in Bijeljina in February 1993. A prisoner questioned one of the guards about Russian voices outside his cell. The guard indicated that 150 Russians had arrived in BiH to help the Serbs and that more were on the way. The guard also allegedly told the prisoner that the Russians were veterans of the fighting in Afghanistan, and that they had volunteered but were paid based on the territory they captured. According to the guard, one group of the Russian soldiers was to go to Maslenica, Croatia, with the forces of Arkan and Seselj, while another group would remain in BiH. *630

IV. Analysis of reported paramilitary activity by geographic location

A. BiH

1. Banja Luka County *631

       Banja Luka county is in the north-west quarter of BiH. According to the 1991 census, the county had a population of 195,139, of which 54.8 per cent were Serbian, 14.9 per cent Croatian, 14.6 per cent Muslim, 12 per cent described themselves as «Yugoslavs», and 3.7 per cent as «other». *632

       During January and February 1993, while Serbs were seeking international relief to feed their people and rebuild ravaged towns in northern BiH, a campaign of violence was renewed against Muslims and Croats in that area. Leaders of both the Muslims and Croats have placed blame for these attacks on Seselj and Arkan, whose units had been moving into the Banja Luka area in large numbers. *633 The SOS (Srpske Oruzane Snage) paramilitary group, whose members had originally come to BiH as Arkanovci, was also reported to be present in Banja Luka. *634

       In early February, 11 Muslims were killed and several others were choked to death by cables. Muslim homes were under attack and many people were fired from their jobs. *635

       Croats were also being pressured to leave the Banja Luka area. Homes were being blown up and robbed by unidentified armed men who told the Croat residents to «go away». Like the Muslims, many Croats were dismissed from their jobs. Four Croats were killed in early February, six homes were burned down, and one woman was raped. *636

       The nearby village of Celinac experienced a similar fate. Muslims in that village were subjected to numerous restrictions forbidding them to drive, patronize businesses, make out-of-town phone calls or leave their homes between 4:00 p.m. and sunrise. Serb forces broke into Muslim homes each night, took away the men, and demanded that all money be turned over. Others were dismissed from their jobs. *637

       In March of 1993, Seselj allegedly visited Banja Luka with his private guard force, the White Eagles. He stated in local media interviews that he intended to geographically unite the Serbian populations of Knin, Banja Luka, the Baranja region, and Montenegro. The visit was part of Seselj's failed attempt to wrest power from the local SDS leader, Radovan Brdjanin. *638

       During the first week of May 1993, two of Banja Luka's mosques, Ferhad Pasa and Arnaudija, both built in the 16th Century, were reduced to ruins by Serb gunfire and dynamite. Two weeks before the explosions, while standing before the two mosques, Seselj was reported to have said, «Is it possible that they are still standing?» *639

2. Bihac County *640

       Bihac County is in the north-west corner of BiH. According to the 1991 census, Bihac had a population of 70,896. The population was 66.6 per cent Muslim, 17.8 per cent Serb, 7.7 per cent Croat, 6 per cent «Yugoslav», 1.9 per cent «other».

       UNPROFOR reported the presence of Muslim paramilitary units called the White Pumas in Bihac in December 1992. *641

3. Bijeljina County *642

       This county is in the north-east quarter of BiH with Serbia on its eastern border. According to the 1991 census, of its population of 96,796, 59.4 per cent was Serbian, 31.3 per cent Muslim, 4.4 per cent «Yugoslav», and 4.9 per cent «other».

       Arkan was reportedly in the town of Bijeljina for about one month preparing his battle plans before the April 1992 attack. The attack began when a grenade was thrown into a Muslim-owned cafe. *643

       In the first week of April 1992, approximately 1,000 soldiers from Arkan's units crossed the Drina River from Serbia and entered the town of Bijeljina. The soldiers wore black uniforms and stocking caps and had unidentified small arms, at least one anti-aircraft gun, light armoured and regular transport vehicles. They were supported by an unknown, large number of local Serbs drawn from the area's Serbian population of approximately 45,000. *644 Other reports indicate that in April 1992 Arkan bombarded Bijeljina with mortars supplied by the Yugoslav army. *645 Another report confirmed that the units which attacked Bijeljina in April 1992 belonged to Arkan and referred to his men as the best trained and equipped Serbian force. *646

       Muslim defence units in Bijeljina fought back. The battles engulfed the town for three days and nights. Arkan captured the radio station and reportedly broadcast calls for Muslims to surrender their weapons. *647

       On 2 April 1992, Belgrade Radio Belgrade Network reported that most of Bijeljina had been «liberated» that afternoon by members of the Serbian National Guard of Semberija and Majevica, in cooperation with Serbian volunteers, Arkan's men, and the Serbian «radicals». A curfew had been imposed, and hold-outs were encouraged to surrender arms. Shooting could still be heard, according to the report, because «the last Muslim strongholds [were] being mopped up». *648

       According to a Zagreb Radio Croatia Network report, on the night of 2 April 1992, a delegation of the BiH Presidency and Government managed to approach Bijeljina but was unable to enter the town. Presidency member Fikret Abdic, Deputy Prime Minister Miodrag Simovic, and Defence Minister Jerko Doko met near Bijeljina with Arkan but returned afterward to Sarajevo. Reportedly, the SDS crisis committee for Bijeljina said that the guard of the «Serbian Autonomous Region of Semberia» was controlling Bijeljina with the help of Arkan's units. *649

       A number of reports stated that Arkan's troops harmed residents and property after capturing the town. According to one report, Arkan's men roamed Bijeljina after it fell, shooting young men suspected of carrying arms. Yugoslav army troops at the local barracks did not intervene. They later issued a statement that they had received no orders from Belgrade to do so. *650 One report says that citizens of Bijeljina phoned Sarajevo radio to say that Arkan's people were terrorizing the town, breaking into apartments, searching for arms and robbing and harassing citizens. *651 In another report, residents of Bijeljina said that in the first week of April 1992 Serbian paramilitary troops belonging to Arkan and Jovic harassed the town's population. *652

       It was reported that sporadic gunfire continued on 4 April 1992. *653

       A local newspaper reportedly published photographs of Arkan in war-torn Bijeljina. *654 It is alleged that Arkan warned local Muslim defence units in other towns that if they did not surrender they would suffer «the same fate as the people in Bijeljina». *655

       Reportedly thousands of refugees fled from Bijeljina into Serbia. *656 A May 1992 report describes a Bijeljina of bloodstained walls, families huddled in basements, dwindling food supplies, and the sounds of mortar explosions. *657 The SDS crisis committee for Bijeljina reportedly placed the death toll at 20 and claimed scores of wounded. *658 However, at least 42 bodies were recovered and identified in the town, 40 of which were described as Muslim. *659

       For approximately one month after the initial takeover of Bijeljina, there was an internal dispute between Arkan and the leader of the local Serbian paramilitary led by Mirko, the owner of the Serbia Cafe near the bus station. Apparently Arkan had promised control of the town to Mirko but did not turn it over quickly enough. Arkan's and Mirko's men worked separately in the town for this month. According to this report, it was Mirko's men, not Arkan's that were primarily responsible for the killing, raping and looting in Bijeljina. *660

       It was reported that Bosnian Serb citizens from Brcko and Tuzla began moving into Bijeljina and occupying Muslim homes vacated in the attack on the city. Reportedly, these moves were arranged to minimize Serbian civilian casualties in the military activities in Brcko and Tuzla in late April and May of 1992. To obtain exit permits from the area, Bosnian Muslims were forced to sign documents deeding their property to Bosnian Serbs. In mid- June 1992, the Serbian authorities stopped issuing these permits, and approximately 2,000 elderly Muslims remained in the town. *661

       As of 23 September 1992, Arkan and Mirko had turned Bijeljina over to the SDS. *662

       In a December 1992 interview, Arkan said that he was «invited» by local Serbs to put down a Muslim uprising before it began in Bijeljina. *663

       A May 1993 report described Bijeljina as under Serb control, with few signs of the «massacre», which had taken place over a year earlier. The report says that mosques had been blasted and trees planted in their place. *664

       In October of 1993, however, the reports of expulsions of non-Serbs continued. Those remaining Muslims and Croats in Bijeljina (estimates put the number at around 5,000) were still being harassed by the «population exchange commission», headed by Major Vojkan Djurkovic of the Arkan forces. Those who were able to arrange for passage out of the city have provided accounts of their forced evictions. Some were given less than 15 minutes to pack their bags. They were then transported to the agricultural school on the edge of Bijeljina, where they were forced to hand over all possessions, including their house keys. From there, the displaced civilians were taken to BiH territory and forced to cross a minefield on the front lines of Tuzla in order to reach safety. One report notes that every few nights nearly 40 Muslims were taken away by Serbs in this manner. *665

       Another technique to eject Croats and Muslims reportedly employed by the exchange commission is the movement of Serb refugees into Muslim and Croat homes. *666 This process is called «cuckoo's nesting». Officials set the maximum amount of living room allotted to each civilian. This is called the «rationalization of living space». Any non-Serb found to exceed their specified amount must accept Serb refugees into their homes. The resulting tension between the two cultural groups often compels the non-Serbs to leave their own homes. *667 Those individuals who are not «exported» in one of these ways are often duped into paying up to 500 DM to phony travel agencies who arrange for individuals to be left at the Serbian-Hungarian border. *668

       Major Djurkovic has responded to the charges that these activities constitute «ethnic cleansing». Although he states that Muslims are leaving their homes voluntarily, he further notes that Bijeljina is situated on «sacred Serbian land». Djurkovic claims to have «thousands of Muslims separated by the conflict». *669 Furthermore, the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Fund reveals that Bosnian Serb leadership has set a quota for the Bijeljina area, whereby only 5 per cent of the region's 22,000 Muslims will be permitted to remain. *670

4. Bileca County *671

       Bileca county is in southern BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 13,269 with 80.3 per cent Serb, 14.7 per cent Muslim and 5 per cent «other».

       The White Eagles, or Beli Orlovi, is a Serbian paramilitary group which reportedly operated at the Bileca camp between August and October 1992. One particular incident involving the White Eagles occurred on 5 September between 9:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m. Here, members of the group shot and threw tear gas in the windows of a cell holding Muslims for nearly five hours because they could not get inside. Apparently, the Serb prison guard had thrown away the key to prevent the White Eagles from entering and was severely beaten for doing so. *672

5. Bosanska Krupa County *673

       Bosanska Krupa is a county in the north-west of BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 58,212. Of this population, 74.5 per cent were Muslim, 23.6 per cent Serb, and 1.9 per cent «other».

       Two Croatians report that they were severely beaten with sticks, baseball bats, metal rods, and a thick rope soaked in water by five members of the White Eagles. This beating occurred in June 1992, while the witnesses were in custody of «the Serbs» in Bosanska Krupa, and lasted for approximately two hours. *674

6. Bosanska Raca (county unknown)

       Arkan's men controlled the bridge over the Sava River in Bosanska Raca. Every Bosnian who wanted to cross the bridge into Serbia was forced to pay 500 to 800 DM. These operations were also practised across the Drina River. Serbs operated small boats for a fee of up to 1,000 DM per person to cross the river. Serbs would rob Muslims under the guise of aiding their «voluntary resettlement». *675

7. Bosanski Brod *676

       Bosanski Brod is in the northern region of BiH, bordering Croatia at the county of Slavonski Brod. Its population in 1991 was 33,962, with 41 per cent Croat, 33.8 per cent Serb, 12.2 per cent Muslim, 10.6 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2.4 per cent «other». There are reports of both Serb and Croatian paramilitary activity in this region.

8. Bosanski Novi County

       Bosanski Novi is in the north-west corner of BiH. According to the 1991 census, it had a population of 41,541. The population was 60.4 per cent Serb, 33.9 per cent Muslim, 3.7 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2 per cent «other».

9. Bosanski Samac County *683

       Bosanski Samac is in the north-east quarter of BiH with Croatia on its northern border. As of 1991, the county's population was 32,835 of which 41.5 per cent was Serbian, 44.7 per cent Croatian, 6.5 per cent Muslim, and 7 per cent «other».

       On 19 March 1992, Arkan's forces surrounded a police station in Bosanski Samac. They allegedly demanded as an ultimatum that the police return the automatic pistols with silencers which had been confiscated the day before from members of the Yugoslav Army and «Cetnik formations». Apparently, the «Cetnik formations» had been walking around the city in civilian clothing armed «to the teeth». *684

       Reportedly, a top-level Serbian army military plan of attack for this county, prepared in several versions, with the classification «NATIONAL DEFENCE-STATE SECRET» and the code name «MOST», was found on a high-level Yugoslav army officer. The plan established two possible courses of action for capturing villages in the region. On the one hand, Serbs could organize a wedding in a town and try to enter the town by making use of false documents and vehicles with Mostar license plates. The vehicles would contain coolers in which weapons would be hidden. On the other hand, Serbs could make use of officially custom- sealed truck cabs containing Serbian «commandos». Military analysts allegedly associated these plans with the tactics involving plain clothes which have been implemented by Arkan and his troops. *685

       On 17 April 1992, regular Serbian soldiers and Seselj's men occupied Bosanski Samac and imprisoned wealthy and politically involved Muslims. The prisoners were beaten with wooden sticks, truncheons, and shovels. At least seven died and seven others are still missing. *686

       It was reported that the SOS paramilitary group, led by Crni and Lugar, was also in Bosanski Samac. The report, however, did not specifically provide the dates they were there nor did it describe their activities. *687

10. Bratunac County *688

       Bratunac County is located in eastern BiH, bordered by Serbia. In 1991, the population was 33,575, of which 41.5 per cent were Serbian, 44.7 per cent Croatian, 6.8 per cent Muslim, and 7 per cent «other».

       On 5 May 1992, Arkan's and Seselj's troops surrounded the entire village of Bratunac and upon their attack, 10,000 Muslims reportedly fled small towns along the Drina River. *689 The villages of Hraca, Glogovo, and Mihaljevici were burned. During the attacks, an estimated 500 Muslim houses were burned, and 50 people killed. The bodies of the villagers were found on the banks of the Drina. *690 Two thousand Muslims were arrested on 9 May 1992. *691 Some were taken to the police station, which was then allegedly under the control of Arkan and Seselj, aided by the army. *692

       On 10 May, Serbian troops placed 4,000 to 5,000 civilians in a newly established concentration camp at the FC «Bratstvo» stadium. Others were taken to the playground. Civilians were separated by gender, and the male Muslims were transported to the elementary school Vuk Karadzic, where a number of men were beaten. One report states that between 600 and 700 male Muslims were moved to Vuk Karadzic Primary School Sports Centre. *693 Arkan's and Seselj's military troops and local «Cetniks» tortured and killed scores of them. The torture included beatings with iron rods and wooden poles. Some prisoners were taken to an «investigation room» where they were forced to trample over their fellow inmates' dead bodies. Mutilation also occurred; ears, noses and genitals were cut off, and the sign of the cross was cut into prisoners' flesh. While being tortured, the prisoners were made to sing Cetnik songs. Most were killed by gunfire, but in one day it is alleged that up to 150 people were killed from beatings. Reportedly, individual perpetrators were responsible for the deaths of 20 or more people. The corpses were eventually thrown into the Drina River. *694

       Eventually the remaining Muslims were brought to the playground, where Arkan and Seselj's men stripped them of all personal property. *695 They were then separated by gender and the women were taken to Kladanj by bus, while the men were returned to the elementary school to be beaten and tortured. Between 30 and 50 of the men were killed. A Muslim priest was stabbed to death in front of 600 other prisoners for refusing to accept the Christian faith and make a Serbian sign. The surviving prisoners were then transported to Pale, where the prisoners were forced to watch the bodies of dead prisoners being burned. One estimate put the death count at 300. Other killings took place near the River Krizevica-Podgorac and in the quarry near the Drina. Eventually, prisoners were released as part of an exchange at Vratnica and Visoko. *696

       Reportedly, on 23 May 1992, local paramilitary forces commanded by an identified man killed 70 Muslims in front of the mosque in the village of Glogova. *697

11. Brcko County *698

       This county is located in north-eastern BiH, bordered to the north-east by Serbia. According to the 1991 census, Brcko had a population of 87,332, of which 20 per cent was Serbian, 25 per cent Croatian, and 45 per cent Muslim.

       Brcko was overrun by JNA forces in late April and May of 1992. Some reports hold an identified officer of the JNA responsible for heading up the offensive, *699 while other reports note that Arkan was in charge of the operation. *700 Explosions destroyed both bridges in Brcko over the Sava River causing the death of 30 to 50 civilians.

       After the shelling, troops under an identified commander as well as local mobilized Serbs occupied the town. Successive waves of military and paramilitary groups came to the city, and it appeared that a different group, including Seselj's men, was in control every few days. Martic's units from Bosanska Krajina were the last to hold the city. *701

       During this time, a Serbian group called the Weekenders (Vikendasi) went to Brcko each weekend, plundering and vandalizing. They began arriving via Bijeljina in May 1992 and continued to come during the entire time that the JNA occupied the town. *702

       During the first 15 days of May, the Muslim males were put under house arrest and subjected to weapons searches and registration. The actual rounding up of the Muslim population began in the village of Gluhakovic, close to Brcko. Survivors were taken to one of two collection points, the «Bimal» factory or the «Autoprevoz» complex. These prisoners were then taken to Luka Camp. *703

       One witness statement noted that between 150 and 200 men were detained at a mosque for two days before being taken to Luka Camp. *704 At the mosque, a man identified all SDA party members, and those individuals were killed by Arkan's men on the spot. *705 The witness also reported that he saw between 300 to 400 persons executed in the town square, under the order of the head of police and the deputy head of police.

       One witness reported that reservists from Bijeljina killed 150 unarmed Muslim and Croat civilians on 2-4 May 1992. They found the civilians on the street, interrogated them, and then shot them. At the same time, a JNA commander allegedly told the group not to kill people in the centre of town, only on the front line. One reservist was also reported to have participated in the tortures and killings at Luka Camp. *706

       A Muslim man from the Meraja-Rosulja section of Brcko had allowed 35 people to take refuge in his basement during the onslaught. Eventually they surrendered and were taken to the local medical clinic. The men were then taken to the mosque, and the women and children were later dispersed to predominantly Muslim villages in the Brcko municipality. The 50 remaining men were taken to the JNA military barracks gym and beaten by Arkan's and Seselj's units at about 11:00 p.m. on 1 May. Approximately 10 men were beaten in the hallway of the gym and never seen again. *707

       In one instance, the Serbians living in an apartment complex rounded up the Croats and Muslims living there and put them in the basement. After six days in the basement of the complex, these prisoners were turned over to Arkanovci. The Arkanovci transported the prisoners to the military casern in the centre of town. Here, the women and children were separated from the men and transported to the nearby town of Brezovo Polje. The men were held in the casern's movie hall. *708

       Thereafter, approximately 5,000 civilians from Brcko were taken by the JNA forces and Serb paramilitaries to the detention camps at Luka. The main camp facilities consisted of an old brick factory and pig farm. *709 There may have been a total of 10 to 12 warehouses at the camp. *710 The soldiers responsible for the camp, identified as Arkan's, used metal objects for beating prisoners and cut crosses into people's foreheads to indicate they should be beaten. *711 One account stated that these men wore black berets. However, responsibility for the camp's administration was said to have changed every month. *712

       One witness reports being placed in a room of one of the camp warehouses, where 200 other prisoners were being interrogated and beaten by several individuals. *713 In another account, 100 prisoners were said to be warehoused in one room. This witness related that none of the prisoners received food or water for the first four days of detention. All prisoners were beaten and mistreated, and some simply disappeared. Most of the abuses occurred near a manhole. The witness personally observed four people being killed and was himself interrogated and beaten by several Serbian individuals, one of whom was identified by nickname and was a member of Arkan's units. *714 Another inmate corroborated the allegations of abuse, stating that 24 men were shot, including two of his friends. However, another prisoner stated that no one in his warehouse was killed, and inmates were only beaten if they had been accused of something. *715

       Some witnesses relate that up to 50 prisoners at a time were killed at the camp. *716 Many of the killings were carried out in front of the detainees in the third hangar. *717 The bodies were stacked behind the hangar and then taken away at night to be either dumped in the nearby Sava River or buried in a mass grave. The mass grave is said to consist of four sites situated 50 metres east of and behind a tavern called «Westfalia». It is on the road between Brcko and Brezovo Polje, in a wooded area across from the agricultural complex «Bimex». *718 Still others were destroyed at a rendering plant which boiled animal remains to manufacture lard. *719 Estimates put the death count at the Luka camp at 3,000, all of which occurred between 1 May and 7 June. Another source said that between 3,000 and 5,000 people were killed at Brcko in the month of July alone. Many of those who were not killed at Brcko were taken to a facility at Batkovic where the prisoners slept outside on concrete slabs and were forced to work in the nearby fields. A number of American news reports place the responsibility for these killings upon Arkan, his forces, and Seselj. *720

       Cvijetin Maksimovic was a brick-factory worker who served as a prison guard at the Luka Camp and is being held in a prison camp at Orosje for the crimes he committed during May and June of 1992 against Luka camp inmates. Maksimovic substantiated the terrible conditions the prisoners at the camp underwent. He said 500 to 600 Croatians and Muslims slept on concrete floors and were fed one meal a day. He observed prisoners, classified by «Cetniks» as «suspects», driven away for interrogation, and truckloads of as many as 90 dead bodies each shipped from the camp. Maksimovic reported that Arkan's and Seselj's forces, along with local Serb leaders, had free reign in the operation of the camp. As a mere guard, he was not allowed to enter the camp until he survived the Cetnik «initiation rite». *721

       Slobodan Panic related similar experiences in the same news report. He was forced to rape five women or be killed. He was then ordered to shoot two men in the chest and slay two others with a knife. As with Maksimovic, when Panic protested, a knife was placed in his hand and it was forced across one of the victim's throats by a Cetnik. Both Panic and Maksimovic fled the prison camp and were captured by Croatian patrol. They are now awaiting sentencing. *722

       The camp itself measured 230 by 150 metres and was surrounded by an electrified fence, fortified by mines. Prisoners were placed into one of three hangers: the first was 20 by 28 metres and housed up to 180 men, the second was 20 by 40 metres and housed up to 180 men, and the third was 20 by 40 metres and housed 300 men, women, and children. In the first hangers the detainees slept standing up. All detainees were permitted to use the washroom only once a day for no longer than a minute. In June, goats were brought into the hangers and lived with the detainees. *723

       During the same time period, 500 additional civilians were taken to the garrison that housed Arkan's and Seselj's military formations. These prisoners were robbed and segregated by nationality and gender. Of these civilians, 474 were reportedly forced to beat each other to death. *724 A major, identified by name, cut off the ear of one prisoner and forced another to lick the blood. In all, the prisoners were tortured for two days, which included placing a pistol in prisoners' mouths and using a bloodied comb to comb their hair. At the end of the two days, only 26 Muslims survived, and they were taken to Bijeljina and the Luka camp.

       On 17 May 1992, Serb soldiers, wearing army uniforms and masks, entered the town of Brezovo Polje in Brcko County and rounded up all Bosnian Muslims. The able-bodied men were loaded onto buses and sent to Luka «for interrogation». One thousand women, children and elderly were packed into eight buses and driven around the countryside for two days. Arriving at the town of Ban Brdo, the group was held under armed guard in a parking lot for another four days without food or water. The Serbs invaded the buses each night and led women and girls off at gunpoint to be raped. The group was then taken to Caparde in Zvornik County, where 50 Serb irregulars, reportedly followers of Arkan, robbed the mothers and forcibly separated them from their daughters. The daughters were transported to the Osnovo furniture warehouse in Caparde, while the mothers were taken on another journey through the war zone. At the warehouse, the men selected the 40 «prettiest» young women and raped them in groups of ten. *725 One of the perpetrators told his victim that Seselj's men would have raped them «10 men to one woman». *726

       Meanwhile, the mothers had arrived in Tuzla on 23 June, their journey ending only after they were made to walk 12 miles through the war zone, where the path was littered with human corpses and animal carcasses. The daughters arrived four days later, after they were allegedly forced to walk across a mined road. *727

       In March 1993, Sarajevo Radio Correspondent Salih Brkic reported that Serbian forces were «trying to take over the Vlasenica-Zvornik road» near Brcko and Gradacac, using multiple rocket launchers, mortars, and anti-aircraft guns. He noted that the Serbian forces were still holding up a humanitarian convoy that was meant to take wounded from Konjevic Polje to Tuzla. Enormous losses sustained by Serbian forces prompted another 1,500 of Arkan's paramilitary troops to be mobilized to fight against the Bosnians. *728

12. Cajnice County *729

       Cajnice is in eastern BiH, bordering Serbia. Of its 1991 population of 8,919, 52.9 per cent were Serb, 44.9 per cent Muslim, and 2.2 per cent «other».

       Commander «Turtle's» units make up a Serbian paramilitary organization, which allegedly acted in Cajnice and other parts of eastern BiH. *730 This group is under the command of a Bosnian Serb doctor, Dusko Kornjaca, who calls himself Commander Turtle. *731 There are no details reported about their activities.

13. Derventa County *732

       Derventa is located in north-eastern BiH, bordered on the north by Croatia. Its 1991 population was 56,328, of which 40.8 per cent were Serbian, 39 per cent were Croatian, 12.6 per cent Muslim, and 7.6 per cent «other».

       A man was arrested in mid-May 1992 in Derventa by one of Seselj's men while trying to escort civilians over the Ukrajina River. Seselj's men surrounded the party of 10 and they surrendered. This group was taken to an abandoned grain mill that held 50 other prisoners, male and female. Seselj's men interrogated and beat the prisoners with heavy electric cable, truncheons, and the flat side of a sword. At least two prisoners died as a result. The man was held for 60 days in the mill, which did not have bathroom facilities and released through a prisoner exchange. *733

       The SOS paramilitary group was also alleged to have been active in Derventa, although the report did not provide any specific dates or incidents. *734

14. Doboj County *735

       This county is located in north-eastern BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population was 102,546. Serbs comprised 39 per cent, 13 per cent were Croat, 40.2 per cent Muslim, 5.5 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2.3 per cent «other».

       Arkan's paramilitary units, the White Eagles, and the JNA occupied Doboj in April and May of 1992. *736 Other reports also indicate the presence of the Knindza Turtles, *737 Red Berets, *738 and Martic's Militia during the attack on Doboj. They shelled and set fire to two mosques and the Catholic church. Croats and Muslims were ordered to remain indoors as their homes were searched and looted. Male residents were often arrested, and still others were beaten. Women were taken away on three buses to a high school, where they were held for 28 days and raped repeatedly. *739 One report specifically mentions the Red Berets as allegedly responsible for at least some of the rapes at the high school. *740 The city was besieged until August. *741

15. Donji Vakuf County *742

       Seventy members of the Serbian paramilitary Martic's Militia acted in conjunction with other paramilitary groups in the «ethnic cleansing» of the Donji Vakuf area. *743

16. Dragovici (county unknown)

       In mid-May, Seselj's White Eagles reportedly skinned three Muslims after hanging them with meat hooks on an oak tree. *744 Most of the village's Muslim inhabitants were killed and the village was burned down. *745

17. Foca County *746

       Foca County is located in south-eastern BiH with Montenegro as its eastern border. As of 1991, the population of the county was 40,513, of which 45.3 per cent was Serbian, 51.6 per cent Muslim, and 3.1 per cent «other».

       Arkan and Seselj reportedly deployed soldiers in the county of Foca. Reports also indicate the presence of Commander Turtle's Units, *747 the Montenegro Guard, *748 the Uzice Corps, and Pero Elez. *749

       During the occupation of Foca by Arkan's men in late April 1992, many bodies were thrown into the river. A Danish photographer in Gorazde witnessed these decomposed bodies downstream in the village of Gorazde. A concentration camp was established in Foca in the former prison, and was run by Velibor Ostojic. Seselj's forces and volunteers were said to have participated in the fighting in the city of Foca, as assistance to the Serbian Democratic Party forces. The fighting took place in late April 1992. *750

       Between 15 April 1992 and 20 April 1992, nine people were killed in the village of Susjesno by Arkan's men. The nine victims were elderly and did not want to leave their homes. *751

       Seselj's forces were part of the paramilitary attack on Ustikolina during April 1992. Serbian Democratic Party forces and volunteers from Serbia and Montenegro also aided in the assault. All Muslims fled the village. Mortars, machine-guns, and armoured vehicles were used in the attack. The Serbian forces also entered the JNA facility in Ustikolina and killed several Muslim civilian refugees. *752

       In Paunci, Serbian Democratic Party forces and Serbian paramilitary forces reportedly killed a large number of people, mostly women and old men. *753

       According to the United States government, the Montenegro Guard participated in operations in Jelec, a village in Foca. Allegedly, the Montenegro Guard, along with members of other paramilitary units, including the White Eagles and Vukovar Unit, shelled the town and killed remaining Muslim civilians after 23 April 1992. The alleged raid on Jelec began on 18 April 1992, when these forces blocked the roads to town and ordered Muslims to surrender their weapons by 22 April to a Bosnian Serb delegation at the military complex in the nearby village of Miljevina. On 23 April, Serb forces began shelling Jelec and the surrounding villages, sending the inhabitants into hiding in the hills surrounding the village. The Montenegro Guard and other forces moved into Jelec on 4 May 1992. They arrived in seven military buses and were given orders to «comb» the area for Muslims. Allegedly, at least 16 Muslims were shot and buried in two graves located in a potato field one kilometre west of Jelec. *754

       On 14 July 1992, Serbian soldiers identifying themselves as Seseljovci entered the house of a Muslim family. A woman was beaten on the head by the soldiers who were inquiring about the location of her husband. These soldiers also cut the throat of a man, drawing blood but not killing him. The family was taken to the police station along with other Muslims were they were separated into four groups. These groups were imprisoned for 27 days in four houses, confiscated from Muslims. The women were raped repeatedly. On 13 August 1992, these women were allowed to leave on a convoy heading for the Muslim-controlled Sandzak region of Serbia. *755

18. Gacko County *756

       This county is located in south-eastern BiH and is bordered on the east by Serbia. According to the 1991 census, the population of Gacko County was 10,844, 62.4 per cent of which were Serbian, 35.3 per cent were Muslim and 2.3 per cent described as «other». Serbian paramilitary operations are reported in this county.

       In March of 1992, the Serbian White Eagles began destroying Muslim-owned cafes, apartments and shops in the town of Gacko. Most of the White Eagle participants were local Serbs, except those who had been refugees from Mostar. On 15 May, the White Eagles began shooting into homes and making arrests. On 1 June, Muslim men who worked at the power plant were arrested by Serb soldiers. One hundred of the Muslim men were taken to the military prison in Avtovac. Meanwhile, more Muslim men were arrested from their homes and taken to the Hotel Terma. *757

       Reportedly, on 1 June 1992, Seselj's men and the White Eagles launched an all out attack against Gacko's Muslim inhabitants. *758 One report also stated that special forces of Niksic and JNA soldiers were also involved in the attack on Gacko. *759 The attack began with the burning of several Muslim homes. *760 On 18 and 19 June, the villages were reportedly shelled. Many of the civilians fled into the forests in the nearby mountains, where they saw the Serb forces moving through the village burning Muslim homes. *761 Other Muslims were killed or arrested. Those that were arrested were detained in the lobby of the Elektro Privreda's Hotel before being transported to the Serbian detention camp at Bileca. *762

       Later in June, many Muslims were attempting to leave Gacko with the permission of the Serbian Municipal Office when they were trapped and shot at by White Eagles. *763 The Muslim men were pulled out of their cars and beaten. Others were set on fire, jumped upon or hit with iron rifle butts. *764 The women and children were taken to the Motel Kosuta and later reunited with their families, but were forced to watch as the White Eagles beat the Muslim men. The women at the hotel were searched and robbed of their personal belongings, and some of them were raped. The women and children were eventually returned to Gacko, and the men were taken from the motel to Gacko prison. *765

       At the prison, the men were beaten nightly by White Eagles and by members of the «Interviewing Platoon». Some were shot to death. The prisoners were then to be taken to Bileca. In preparing to do so, soldiers lined up to form a path through which the prisoners would pass from their cells to the transport trucks. As the prisoners walked through the line of soldiers, they were beaten with rifle butts and poles. Others were killed. A total of 170 Muslims survived and were taken to Bileca, where they were kept in a basement room, 120 square metres in size. The prisoners were beaten three times during the night under 2,000 watt lamps. *766 They were allegedly beaten every day with wooden and metal sticks by as many as 10 guards at a time. Prisoners were not allowed to go to the bathroom or eat for three days. Four men were beaten to death between 2 and 4 July. *767 On 10 August, prisoners were to be interviewed by news agencies. They were allowed to shower and shave for the interviews, but afterwards were allegedly tortured for telling reporters the truth about the camp conditions and abuse. The imprisonment continued from 1 June to 18 August 1992. *768 At that time, 378 prisoners were exchanged in Stolac.

       One report stated that 4 July was the date of the final roundup of remaining Muslim villagers. Soldiers went house to house and gave residents two minutes to leave. One witness estimated that 980 people were forced to leave at that time. They were taken to the Serbian-Macedonian border where a relief organization took them on to Skopje. *769

       However, another report indicates that those civilians that were hiding in the forests did not surrender until 12 July 1992. These civilians were allegedly taken in military trucks to Gacko and interrogated at the police station where witnesses reported many village possessions were stored. The civilians were asked about their male relatives and where they could be found. Reportedly the male Muslim prisoners were held in the basement of a hotel in the suburbs of Gacko. The women and children are reported to have been taken to the front-line near Benkovici in late July where the Serb forces were fighting members of the HVO. The women and children were forced to walk across the battle lines over minefields towards the HVO who fed them and transferred them to Mostar, Capljina or Ljubuski, BiH. *770

19. Gorazde County *771

       Gorazde County is in the south-east of BiH and had a 1991 population of 37,505. Of that population, 70.2 per cent were Muslim, 26.2 per cent were Serb, and 3.6 per cent were «other». There are reports of both Serb and Muslim paramilitary activity in this area.

20. Jablanica County *775

       Jablanica is located in the central south-west region of BiH. According to 1991 figures, it had a population of 12,664 which was 72.1 per cent Muslim, 17.8 per cent Croat, 6.1 per cent «other», and 4 per cent Serb.

       The Black Swans and MOS (Muslim Armed Forces), both are Muslim paramilitary groups alleged to have operated in Jablanica County. Apparently, these groups made a joint attack on the village of Doljani on 28 July 1993. *776 The attackers are said to have mutilated and killed 24 people, both civilians and soldiers. The corpses' eyes were plucked out, their ears cut, and stomachs slit open. *777

       The same report indicates that Serbian villagers fleeing from the attack were shot down as they crossed Stipica Meadow. Those who did survive were taken to a nearby room where they were detained with others, including one HVO soldier who had been shot in the chest. They were given nothing to eat and only water to drink. After one day of detention, the prisoners pried the bars of the cell windows loose and escaped. One witness recognized the MOS forces acting in this incident, saying they were from Jablanica. *778

21. Kalinovik County

       This county is in south-eastern BiH. The pre-war population was 4,657, of which 60.6 per cent were Serbian, 37.1 per cent Muslim, and 2.3 per cent «other». Only Serbian paramilitaries were reported to be operating in this county.

       Seseljovci and Russian volunteers were called in to Kalinovik during February 1993, at the request of Commander Ratko Mladic, when the Kalinovik «Cetniks» were reportedly refusing to obey orders from their most extreme commanders. The goal of the new troops was to restore the self-confidence of the local «Cetniks». *779

22. Konjic County *780

       This county is located in the south central part of BiH, approximately 45 kilometres south-west of the centre of Sarajevo. Konjic's population as of 1991 was 43,636. The population was 15.2 per cent Serbian, 26 per cent Croatian, 54.5 per cent Muslim and 4.3 per cent «other». Serbian, Muslim and Croatian paramilitary groups were reportedly active in this county.

23. Kupres County *790

       This county is located in west-central BiH. Its pre-war population was 9,663 of which 50.7 per cent was Serbian, 39.6 per cent Croatian, 8.4 per cent Muslim, and 1.3 per cent «other». There is one report of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.

       In April 1992, Seselj's White Eagles, along with the JNA under the command of an identified officer, were allegedly responsible for the killing of about 200 men, women, and children. Machine-guns, knives, and hammers were used in the killings. A young girl witnessed her family being killed; she was then forced to strip and left to be raped by any of the soldiers who were so inclined. *791

24. Livno County *792

       Livno County is in the west of BiH bordering Croatia at the county of Sinj. In 1991, its population was 39,526, of which 72 per cent was Croat, 15 per cent Muslim, 9.6 per cent Serb, and 3.4 per cent «other».

       A rape victim testifies that she was held in a brothel in Livno and then Sarajevo by «Alija's warriors». It is not clear from the report whether the group she is referring to is the same paramilitary organization as Alija's Army or whether she is referring generically to the Army of BiH as President Alija Izetbegovic's «warriors». *793 The dates of her custody are not specified.

25. Maglaj County *794

       This county is located in south-central BiH and had a pre- war population of 43,294. This population was 30.7 per cent Serbian, 19.3 per cent Croatian, 45.4 per cent Muslim and 4.6 per cent described as «other». There was one report of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.

       A heavy attack on Maglaj was launched on 23 May 1993 by JNA forces, the Serbian Army, Seselj's forces, and local «outlaws». One news report described the town as «literally burning». It further stated: «over 2,000 shells have hit the town so far». Many casualties were reported and poisonous gases were allegedly used. The Serb forces held more than 10 combat positions, from which all types of artillery were fired. *795

26. Modrica County *796

       Modrica is located in north-eastern BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population of the county totaled 35,413 of which 35.3 per cent was Serbian, 27.3 per cent Croatian, 29.5 per cent Muslim, and 7.9 per cent «other». There are three reports of Serbian paramilitary activity in Modrica.

       The Serbian population began to get restless in January 1992 when influential local Serb leaders started making trips to Belgrade. *797

       During early May of 1992, Serb soldiers entered the village of Modrica. Some were believed to be from Seselj's units, for they had blackened faces and wore dark uniforms with an insignia of a skull and eagle on the arms. *798 The White Eagles, Knindza Turtles, *799 and the SOS paramilitaries *800 were also reported to have been in Modrica.

       Allegedly, a group of Muslims, which had sought refuge in the cellar of a private home, were ordered out; they were kicked, punched, and beaten with rifle butts. They were taken to another cellar, where a total of 33 persons were eventually detained for 15 days. Some men were then taken to the school in the centre of town, while others were held in the school sports hall. Local Serbs stood guard while others interrogated the prisoners, including paramilitaries from the White Eagles and Knindza Turtles. Around 18 May, the school was shelled and most of the detainees were moved to a military barracks at Doboj, where approximately 300 Muslims and Croats were being held. In early June, the Red Cross took away the women and children from the site, leaving only about 80 men. *801

27. Mostar County *802

       Mostar is located in the south-central region of BiH. The total population in 1991 was 126,067 of which 19 per cent was Serbian, 33.8 per cent Croatian, 34.8 per cent Muslim, and 10 per cent described as «others». There are reports of Serbian and Croatian paramilitary and Muslim mercenary activity in Mostar.

28. Nevesinje County *810

       Nevesinje County is in southern BiH. Its population in 1991 was 14,421, of which 74.5 per cent was Serb, 23 per cent Muslim, and 2.5 per cent «other».

       In early April of 1992, Seselj's forces were said to have been deployed around the Nevesinje area to assist organized efforts at the border. *811

29. Novi Travnik County

       Pucarevo County is in central BiH near Travnik. The HOS (Hrvatske Oruzane Snage) is reported to have acted in this region. *812

30. Odzak County *813

       Odzak is in northern BiH bordering Croatia at Slavonski Brod. Its pre-war population was 30,651, with 54.2 per cent Croat, 20.3 per cent Muslim, 19.8 per cent Serb, and 5.7 per cent «other».

31. Pale County *820

       Pale is located in south-east BiH. During early February 1992, Seselj's Cetniks reportedly shot at every car driving through the city of Pale. *821

       Reports also allege that Muslim and Croatian prisoners were being mistreated in the Pale detention camps. The camps were set up at the local sports hall, the Cultural Centre and the cinema, and were run by two identified men. During interrogations, prisoners were physically and mentally tortured. In one case, a death sentence was executed in front of a prisoner. Pre-written confessions were given to prisoners by members of the SIP. In all, over 20,000 persons were said to have passed through the camps at Pale. 2,500 are currently there. Several men are responsible for the investigation and interrogation of prisoners. At least one is alleged to be a member of Arkan's formations.

       Also, witness testimony from the BiH Bulletin claims that on 1 June 1992 over 1,000 Serbian irregular forces, 150 soldiers from Rajlovac and Butile barracks, and 80 SDS extremists entered Ahatovici and Dobrosevici and killed 20 Muslim men. The forces also wounded several others and looted and set fire to Muslim homes. On 2 June, Serb extremists mined and destroyed the mosque at Ahatovici. During these attacks, Serb irregulars, under the command of Joja Tintor, captured 400 women and children and 80 men. *822

32. Prijedor County *823

       Prijedor is in the north-west of BiH. In 1991, its population was 112,470. Of that population, 44 per cent was Muslim, 42.5 per cent Serb, 5.7 per cent «Yugoslav», 5.6 per cent Croat, and 2.2 per cent «other». There are reports of extensive Serbian paramilitary activity in this region.

       Prijedor citizens have claimed that Arkan's paramilitary forces had set up headquarters in the Hotel Prijedor when Serbian authorities assumed control of that city in a coup on 30 April 1992. The SDS had established headquarters at that location and some believe that Arkan's forces were situated there as well, but no witnesses have been able to confirm the allegation. However, one witness said that White Eagles were roaming the streets of Prijedor, and that Croatian and Muslim police officers were replaced by Serbs who wore a Serbian cross on their hats instead of the Yugoslav red star. Local Prijedor leaders were arrested by the Serbs.

       Prijedor was attacked on 30 May 1992 by Serb forces, and the city fell within 13 hours. A mosque was burned, and many citizens were forced to leave their homes, arrested and bussed to detention facilities. One woman who was taken from her home and detained for four days stated that when she returned to her home, it had been robbed of all valuables. She was not mistreated while at the detention facility, but she stated that others were frequently threatened. Another woman related that she was taken to the Prijedor police station and placed in a cell sprayed with fresh blood, along with several other civilians, before being shipped to Omarska camp. The involvement of Seselj's forces in these activities is not clear from the report. *824

       Also in May, a resident of Prijedor was summoned for interrogation by an identified commander of a Cetnik brigade. Afterwards, he was taken to Ciglane camp in Prijedor. White Eagles were implicated in the imprisonment and killings of prisoners at Ciglane camp. *825 Also women were raped. Furthermore, the witness saw a group of White Eagles kill five people, and saw «Cetniks» take 15 children from their mothers and throw them into ovens. Another man was also detained at the camp and was forced to load dead bodies onto 13 trucks. He and 20 other prisoners were then taken to Omarska, where he spent six to seven days. Afterwards, he was able to escape. *826

       A 27 December 1992 news report links Arkan's forces with a series of Serbian attacks on the Muslim village of Kozarac in Prijedor county. The attack was prefaced with a demand by Prijedor's rulers that the villagers sign a loyalty oath to the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serbian state, or be regarded as terrorists. Serbs in control of Prijedor drove cars that had «Wolves of Vukovar» written on them. Officers of the JNA were also reportedly involved. *827 The residents attempted to set up a meager defence, but the town was sealed off on 14 May 1992.

       On 24 May 1992, the villages of Kozarusa and Kozarac, in Prijedor county were surrounded by a Serbian force, which included units of the Serbian Army, Bosnian Serb irregulars, White Eagles, and Seselj's men. *828 The forces equipped with tanks and armoured personnel carriers, bombarded the villages for approximately two hours with artillery and rocket fire before entering the village of Kozarusa. *829 Upon entering the village, local Serbs began identifying Muslims who were then shot in the street. *830 Muslim homes were set afire after Serbian forces tossed grenades into them. Within hours, other Muslims were arrested and taken to the prison camp at the Keraterm factory. *831

       The attack on Kozarac lasted three days and caused many villagers to flee to the forest while the soldiers were shooting at «every moving thing». Survivors calculated that at least 2,000 villagers were killed in that period. The villagers' defence fell on 26 May. *832 When the Serbian forces entered the village, they began destroying the village's 14 mosques and nine minarets.

       Serbs then reportedly announced that the villagers had 10 minutes to reach the town's soccer stadium. However, many people were shot in their homes before given a chance to leave. One witness reported that several thousand people tried to surrender by carrying white flags, but three Serb tanks opened fire on them, killing many. Those who were successful in surrendering were separated according to gender. During the exodus to the soccer stadium, some men were randomly selected to be shot by a single Serb perched on a balcony. Upon their arrival at the stadium, the women and men were separated and delivered to concentration camps. Many were beaten and killed in the process. *833 One refugee estimated 90 per cent of the region's leaders were killed. *834

       Another report noted that all 24,000 residents of Kozarac were evacuated and told to walk towards Prijedor. En route, they were met by Serb police who separated the women from the men and began setting houses on fire. Some villagers were killed on the spot. Three hundred soldiers wearing the insignia of the «White Eagles of Knin», stood alongside the road or pulled certain residents out of the group, and took them to a house where they were executed. *835 Those that were not shot were separated by sex. *836 The men were taken to a detention camp in a school in the nearby village of Trnjani, where they were held for four days without food or water. The men were then transferred to the camp at Trnopolje, where the women and children had been held for several days. A large number of the prisoners were allegedly killed at Trnopolje. *837

       Major Arsic, the highest ranking member of the «Serbian Army» was said by some to have planned the attack; others named Major Kuruzovic. *838 Zeljaje, commander of JNA reservists from 12 different municipalities, was also involved. Weapons were taken from the territorial defence units and given to the Serbian army. *839 K.D., a former member of the Kozaran civilian defence council, identified Major Arsic and Serbian JNA Commander Zeljaje as having played key roles in the attack. He also observed Serb police setting houses on fire and killing certain people in the convoy. A spokesman for the Bosnian Serbs' self-declared government also explained that the government used Arkan's forces in its «ethnic cleansing» operations: «He is very expensive, but also very efficient». *840

       Forty men from Kozarac were selected for a prison work gang that was sent back into Kozarac to retrieve dead bodies. One of these men counted 610 bodies in all. Kozarac homes were painted with one of three colours for identification: yellow-marked homes were to be inhabited, blue-marked homes were to be rebuilt, and red-marked homes were to be destroyed. *841

       At the same time, the Red Berets are reported to have been acting in the area and could have been working with or alongside Arkan's men and other Serbian forces. Apparently, the Red Berets participated in the attack of Gornja Puharska, a village of about 300 Muslim families and six Croatian families on 29 May. They entered the village in tanks with other non-uniformed Bosnian Serb irregulars. *842 Following the attack, they took all male villagers south-east to the Omarska detention camp, leaving the women and children behind. At Omarska, the Red Berets worked with the JNA and local police to provide security and coordinate guard shifts. *843

       On 23 June 1992, Bosnian Serb forces began shelling the village of Rizvanovici allegedly in response to the killing of two Serbian soldiers by Muslim Freedom Fighters somewhere near Prijedor. The village had a population of nearly 3,000, all of whom were Muslim with the exception of one family. The shelling lasted approximately four hours and was followed by an attack by Bosnian Serb infantry forces, consisting of the Fifth Banja Luka Corp, White Eagles, and Seseljovci. *844

       The town mosque was damaged, one resident was killed, and another injured during the attack. After the attack, a small occupying force remained in the town. The residents were kept under house arrest with limited movement. *845

       On 9 July 1992, all Muslim males from the village of Matrici were rounded up in groups by Arkanovci and White Eagles and marched to Trnopolje. Along the way, the Muslims were forced to hold their hands behind their heads and to keep their heads hung low. There were also random beatings and killings. After arriving at Trnopolje, the captives were loaded onto buses going to Omarska. The detainees did not stay at Omarska but were instead moved to Keraterm. *846

       In late July 1992, the same force that had attacked Rizvanovici conducted a sweep of the village, rounding up residents and burning homes. Some residents were able to escape to the woods outside the village and others were imprisoned in the cafe of a public building in the centre of the village. *847

       Also in July, a paramilitary unit called «Zoran Karlica» is reported to have been responsible for killings, rapes, and other abuses in the village of Biscani. *848 A witness recognized and named three men among the attackers. He also reports seeing one of the men beating a villager to death. *849

       After the attack on Biscani, the witness and other survivors were loaded onto buses and driven towards Prijedor. At Crna Jaruga, half of the people from one of the buses were killed. One bus drove to the Omarska camp and then on to Trnopolje camp because there was no room at Omarska. Upon their arrival at Omarska, an identified paramilitary man took 13 people away. The witness learned later that these people had been killed at Prijedorsko Polje. *850

       Finally, there are reports describing the activities of two other irregular groups working in Prijedor, for which there are no dates. They may or may not have been operating during the time periods mentioned above. One group, the Rambos, is alleged to be extremely violent and sexually aggressive. According to one witness, Rambo members carved the Cetnik insignia (four cyrillic S's) into a victim's chest, cut the sinews in one individual's legs, and in the spine of another (so that the victim was instantly paralysed). In another instance, they took five 13 year-old girls from a camp in the area to a private home and returned them the following day, bearing obvious signs of abuse. A resident physician managed to suture two of the girls, but the other had to be sent to the hospital in the city of Prijedor. In still another instance, Rambo members chopped off the testicles and gouged out the eyes of a Czechoslovakian medic. *851

       The second group, the Radulovic Irregulars, are also reported to have worked in Prijedor. *852 A US Government report identified three men in the group, reportedly from Zecovi, who were guards at the Serb-run Trnopolje camp. However, their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. Some of them are claimed to have been involved in the looting and burning of Zecovi on 23 June 1992. Another identified member, however, is not specifically named as a participant in this attack. *853

33. Rogatica County *854

       Rogatica County is in eastern BiH. Its population in 1991 was 21,812, of which 69.4 per cent was Muslim and 39.6 per cent was Serb. There are numerous reports of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.

       The village of Rogatica was shelled by Serb forces beginning on 22 May 1992. Between 25 May and 21 June, the town was shelled every day, with attacks concentrated on predominantly Muslim areas. *855 All city services were discontinued and Muslims were forbidden to go outside or leave the city. SDS, White Eagles, Arkan's men, and Seselj's men began looting and burning Muslim houses and apartments. It is estimated that over 100 individuals (women, children, and the elderly), were killed on 21 and 22 June. *856 The civilians were burned and run over with tanks and troop carriers. *857 Muslims began being forced out of their homes and captured by Serb forces on 8 June. *858 Those who attempted to flee to the village of Vragolovo were fired upon. *859 A camp was set up at the local high school where the women and children were taken, while most of the men were taken to Sokolac and Sladara camps. One account approximated the number of women and children detained at the school to be 300. *860 At the school, many women were taken away by Serb soldiers and beaten and raped. *861 Around 5 August, the women and children were loaded onto trucks and began a convoy to the Hresa section of Sarajevo. Detainees were forced to walk part of the way as Serb soldiers fired upon them. *862

       In July of 1992, Arkan's men began going door-to-door looking for weapons and valuables. Arkan's men then began taking people to the elementary school. Female prisoners were removed every night by armed guards carrying flashlights. They were usually kept out for two to three hours at a time. The prisoners were moved to Sarajevo after seven days in the school. *863

       Zepa, a small mountain village in Rogatica county usually populated by 5,000, surged to 30,000 persons due to a huge influx of refugees during late 1992. The BBC traveled with a U.N. military convoy to bring food and other relief to the villagers during the winter months. The convoy was stopped 12 kilometres outside Zepa by Serbian militia, one of whom was wearing the badge of Arkan. The militiamen told the BBC reporter, «The people of Zepa need food, not journalists». While it seemed that the convoy would be allowed through, the soldiers had actually directed the convoy to the one road leading to Zepa that was impassable. More than 20 trees were splayed across the road, and it seemed likely that the road may have been mined or booby- trapped. The U.N. convoy was forced to turn back and attempt an alternative route on a different day. *864

       During this time, there was also an incident in which the paramilitary forces, under the command of an identified man, killed 49 prisoners during a fake prisoner exchange. *865 Apparently, Serb forces, under the command of another identified man, forced prisoners from Visegrad onto a bus and headed north towards Rogatica. The Serb soldiers explained to the prisoners that they were going to be exchanged at Han Pijesak, but once on the bus, they were tied up and beaten. At some point during their trip, the bus was pulled off the road, the prisoners ordered off, killed, and piled in a pit. *866 While the specific date of this incident is not noted, it was reported in the BiH Bulletin of March 1993 and must have occurred shortly before then.

       In April of 1993, Seselj called for the two Serb republics of BiH and Krajina to form a unitary state and reject the Vance- Owen plan. Seselj pledged that his own party, the Serbian Radical Party, would do everything it could to gain recognition of a new joint state. He requested that the Serbian people «reject any signature that would mean the capitulation of the Serbian people to foreign powers. The Serbian people have to maintain all that they have won in a hard and bloody struggle.» *867

34. Sanski Most County *868

       Sanski Most is located in north-west BiH. According to the 1991 census, its population was 60,119, of which 47 per cent was Muslim, 42.2 per cent Serb, 7.1 per cent Croat, and 3.7 per cent «other».

       There is one report of a Serbian paramilitary organization acting in this area called the Sixth District or Sesta Krajiska. *869 Apparently, the Sixth District attacked Sanski Most on 9 May 1992 and occupied the police station and other municipal buildings. Seventeen days after their attack, the Serbian Regular Army arrived in the city. The Sixth District is said to often work with the army by conducting small-scale operations, like the attack at Sanski Most. *870

35. Sarajevo County *871

       Sarajevo is in central BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 525,980, of which 49.3 per cent was Muslim, 29.9 per cent Serb, 10.7 per cent «Yugoslav», 6.6 per cent Croat, and 3.5 per cent «other». There are reports of Serbian, Croatian, and Muslim paramilitary activity in this region.

36. Srebrenica County *894

       Srebrenica is in eastern BiH bordering Serbia. As of 1991, it had a population of 37,211, of which 74.8 per cent was Muslim and 25.2 per cent Serb.

       In May 1992, Arkan's men allegedly removed machinery and equipment from local factories and looted appliances from local stores in Srebrenica and loaded them into stolen cars and took them to Belgrade. *895

       Also in May 1992, the town of Rogatica was shelled, and other reported violations took place, which are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *896

37. Teslic County *897

       Teslic County is in the central northern region of BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 59,632, of which 55.1 per cent was Serb, 21.5 per cent Muslim, 16 per cent Croat, 5.7 per cent «Yugoslav», and 1.7 per cent «other».

       Arkan and his forces led the near-fatal attack on Kamenica in Teslic during early spring of 1992. The Muslim enclave finally collapsed after enduring 10 months of Serbian onslaughts. The entire village was abandoned by its residents, and Serbs quickly moved to bomb the mosque and loot and burn private homes. Mass graves were opened, which Serbs claimed to bury their own who had died in combat.

       A professor from Sarajevo University also reports that paramilitary units of the Armada Forces, along with the Serbian militia and the Red Berets, were brought into Teslic to perform «ethnic cleansing» operations there. *898 The report does not disclose any dates.

38. Tomislavgrad County *899

       Tomislavgrad is a western county of BiH bordering Croatia at Imotski County. According to the 1991 census, it had a population of 29,261. Of this population, 86.6 per cent was Croat, 10.8 per cent Muslim, and 2.6 per cent «other».

       Witness testimonies submitted by the Serbian Council Information Centre allege that members of the Black Legion, a Croatian paramilitary force, took prisoners from Split and Kupres and held them at Tomislavgrad. Women who were detained report that they were kept in cellars with no toilets or beds. *900 The Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) are also reported to have participated in the operation of a detention facility in Tomislavgrad. *901

39. Travnik County *902

       Travnik is in central BiH. Its pre-war population was 70,402, with 45.3 per cent Muslim, 36.9 per cent Croat, 11 per cent Serb, and 6.8 per cent «other». There are reports of Croatian and Muslim paramilitary activity in this county.

40. Tuzla County *905

       Tuzla is in north-east BiH. Its population in 1991 was 131,861, of which 47.6 per cent was Muslim, 16.6 per cent «Yugoslav», 15.6 per cent Croat, 15.5 per cent Serb, and 4.7 per cent «other».

       The chlorine-alkaline complex in Tuzla and Lukavac was bombarded with artillery by Seselj's men and local «Cetniks» during June of 1992. The attack was backed by aircraft from the military air force and an anti-aircraft defence provided by the JNA. *906

41. Veljina

       According to an April 1992 report, the Pan-Yugoslav television network YUTEL, carried videotape footage of the attack on Veljina. The report states that Veljina was «overrun» by Arkan and his men, who were claiming to liberate it for the Serbs. Arkan told reporters that his forces were in BiH to prevent Muslim fundamentalism from gaining a foothold in Europe. *907

42. Visegrad County *908

       Visegrad is in eastern BiH. According to 1991 census figures, it had a population of 21,202, with 62.8 per cent Muslim, 32.8 per cent Serb and 4.4 per cent «other». There are numerous reports of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.

       In 9 April 1992, Zagreb Radio Croatia Network reported that all Muslims from Visegrad had left in fear that Arkan was headed for the town. *909

       Between 12 and 13 April 1992, residents of Visegrad were informed by their Serbian neighbours that Seselj's and Arkan's units were coming into the area to perform a mass killing. Some residents left, and their houses were ransacked and riddled with bullets. Fourteen houses were burned down, leaving only five undamaged. *910

       On 13 April 1992, the city of Visegrad was occupied by the Uzice Corps. This group consisted of JNA soldiers, reservists, Uzice territorial defence forces, and White Eagles. They brought a large amount of JNA heavy equipment with them. The JNA forces wore their traditional uniforms, while the White Eagles wore identifiable outfits, combining military and civilian clothes. Some wore hats with the kokada emblem. Upon the corps' siege, the civilian population fled the city and was fired upon. The corps then broadcast a message instructing the residents to return to Visegrad and assuring their safety. When they returned, the village was in shambles, with many homes burned. *911 The JNA then blocked all roads leading out of Visegrad with help from the White Eagles and Uzice Corps. Soldiers at the roadblocks would take away Muslims, whose names appeared on a master list. *912 Between 18 and 25 May, the Uzice Corps left Visegrad, leaving it to fall under the control of the White Eagles, Cetnik gangs and Seselj's forces. *913

       After the retreat of the Uzice Corps, the killing and torturing of Muslims began. Residents could not leave the city without permission. Many Serbs were seen throwing bound Muslims into the river to drown them. In early June, many girls were taken to the hotel Vilina Vlas, interrogated, and raped. *914 Some of the females were not returned.

       On 13 April 1992, Momir Savic's Cetniks set fire to the villages of Repusevici, Jarci, Brezje, Sip, Bodeznik, Blaz, and Moremeslje. *915 They harassed and arrested Muslims, defaced a mosque, destroyed Muslim property, and stole humanitarian aid. Witness testimony submitted by the Republic of BiH identified one of the men who organized «ethnic cleansing» in the Visegrad region. Apparently, once the Uzice Corps left on 18 June 1992, the criminal activity of Momir Savic's Cetniks grew markedly worse. *916

       Then in July, civilians were evicted and convoys left the city. *917 Some of the men on the convoy were killed and thrown into the River Drina before they arrived in Olovo. The women were taken to Olovo, then to Visoko, then to Zenica. *918

       According to a witness, the Popovic Group led by Srpko Popovic was also involved in criminal activity in the Visegrad area during this time. *919 On 18 June 1992, the Popovic Group is claimed to have killed 22 Muslims in Visegrad under the direction of Milan Lukic. *920 The Popovic Group is also alleged to have killed Muslims at the Visegrad Electric Plant and then to have thrown the corpses in the Drina River. In addition, Popovic members allegedly burned 60 civilians detained in a house and drowned others by tying them up and throwing them into the river. They are also said to have regularly looted Muslim homes. In addition, Srpko Popovic, himself, is claimed to have killed 17 civilians in one day.

       The Visegrad Militia was also active in the area. A witness from the village of Koritnik near Visegrad stated that he narrowly escaped when the house he was being detained in was set afire by Visegrad Militia guards in June 1993. *921 The witness stated that in June 1993, an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons, came to Koritnik and told the Muslims that they would be evicted. The next day, members of the Visegrad militia came to the village and loaded 51 civilians onto buses headed towards Visegrad. At a Serbian checkpoint on a bridge outside Visegrad, the civilians were searched and forced to give up their money and jewelry. The prisoners were then transferred to a house where the women were kept separately for supposed «interrogations».

       The witness goes on to describe that there were already five prisoners in the house when they arrived. At 10:30 p.m., one of the Visegrad Militia guards threw a torch into the house and fired a machine-gun into the various rooms where he and others were held. The witness escaped through a window and ran. In the field behind the house, he was again fired upon. He does not expect that anyone else survived.

       On 18 June 1992, the paramilitary forces under Milan Lukic killed 22 Muslims on the new bridge in Visegrad. *922 The Lukic forces are said to have killed Muslim civilians in a variety of ways: children were dropped from the bridge and then shot before they hit the water: others were killed by pulling their kidneys out while they were still alive; and still others were tied to car bumpers and dragged across the bridge and through the streets of Visegrad. The report links the actions of Lukic's forces with those of the Popovic Group. *923

       On 22 October 1992, Milan Lukic and his men allegedly abducted 16 Sandzak Muslims from the village of Sjeverin. *924 According to Amnesty International, eight armed and masked men boarded the bus that the Muslims were travelling on as it entered BiH at the Visegrad municipality. The men, identified as Milan Lukic's, then ordered the passengers off the bus and onto an army truck. The truck, which had no license plates, headed towards the town of Visegrad. At this time, the passengers were told that they would be exchanged for Serbs who were captured the previous night. According to the Belgrade newspaper Borba, which cites military sources in Serbia, these Muslim hostages were killed near Visegrad that same day. *925

       On 19 February 1993, Lukic's forces reportedly performed a similar operation, this time at the Strpci train station. *926 Witnesses state that 19 Muslim passengers on a train at Strpci were abducted by Lukic's forces, led onto a military truck, and driven away. The present whereabouts of these Muslims are not reported.

       Finally, these reports indicate that Lukic was briefly detained on 26 October 1992 and again in February 1993 for the kidnapping of the Muslims from the bus and from the train. *927 Furthermore, according to the Amnesty International report, the leaders of the «Serb Republic of BiH» deny the existence of paramilitary forces in Visegrad and refer to Lukic's forces as «volunteers» fighting under the command of the Visegrad Brigade. However, according to Borba, Lukic's forces are not under the direction of the army nor the local Visegrad authorities. *928

       Finally, it is reported that the paramilitary forces under the command of Rajko Kusic were also involved in the kidnapping and killing of Muslims in Visegrad. *929 It is not clear whether their actions are linked to those of the Lukic forces. In this case, a witness claims that Kusic forces under the direction of an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons, forced 49 Muslim prisoners from Visegrad onto a bus. The paramilitaries told the prisoners that they were going to be exchanged in Han Pijesak. Yet, once on the bus, the prisoners were tied up and beaten. The bus pulled off the road somewhere between Visegrad and Rogatica, and the prisoners were ordered off. Then, they were killed and piled into a pit. *930

       A Serbian irregular force called Commander Turtle's units is said to have worked in portions of eastern BiH, including Visegrad. *931 This group was led by a Bosnian Serb doctor named Dusko Kornjaca and operated sometime after September 1992. *932

       Other testimony indicates that the Serbian forces under Risto Perisic, the president of the Serbian community, were active in Visegrad. Perisic is alleged to be one of the organizers of «ethnic cleansing» in the region. *933

43. Vitez County *934

       Vitez is in central BiH. The pre-war population was 27,728. Of that population, 45.7 per cent was Croat, 41.4 per cent Muslim, 7.5 per cent «other», and 5.4 per cent Serb. There are reports of both Croatian and Muslim paramilitary activity in this region.

44. Vogosca County

       Vogosca is a small county in central BiH just west of Sarajevo. There are reports that the Serbian paramilitary units under the command of Dragan Ikanovic operated there.

       A witness who was held for several weeks at the army barracks in Rajlovac reports that Ikanovic and his men were responsible for the deaths of approximately 50 Muslim prisoners. He claims that Ikanovic and his men loaded prisoners onto a bus and drove them from Vogosca towards a village called Srednje. At one point in the journey, the passengers were told that the bus had overheated and needed water. The guards on the bus then got off. Immediately afterward, the bus was fired upon by Serbian forces using rocket launchers, bazookas, machine-guns, and hand grenades. *938

       The BiH Bulletin also reports details of this incident. *939 It states that Serb forces took 55 Muslim prisoners, some of whom were from Dobrosevici, Bojnik, and Mihaljevici, on a red bus to a supposed prisoner exchange. Then an identified man was said to take the prisoners. The report does not indicate whether other forces under Joja Tintor were involved. Later, the bus was fired upon as described above. Forty-seven prisoners were killed. *940

45. Zenica County *941

       Zenica County is in central BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 145,577, of which 55.2 per cent was Muslim, 15.6 per cent Croat, 15.5 per cent Serb, 10.9 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2.9 per cent «other». Croatian and Muslim paramilitary activity has been reported in this area.

46. Zvornik County *944

       Zvornik is located in eastern BiH on the Serbian border. It had a pre-war population of 81,111. Of that population, 59.4 per cent was Muslim, 38 per cent Serb, and 2.6 per cent «other». Here, there are reports of Serbian and Muslim paramilitary activity.

B. Croatia

1. Beli Manastir County *991

       This county is located in north-eastern Croatia, bordered by Serbia to the east. According to the 1991 census, Beli Manastir had a population of 54,160, of which 25.5 per cent was Serbian, 41.7 per cent Croatian, 16.5 per cent Hungarian, 7.9 per cent «Yugoslavs», and 8.4 per cent «other».

       In August of 1991, 260 Croat citizens of the Baranja area were killed by local Serbs and Seselj's soldiers. Marko Kvesic, representative of the Government of the Republic of Croatia for the Beli Manastir District, stated that the Croatians of Baranja were ordered to leave their homes, and that those who refused to do so were shot. Explosions were set off, property was taken, and people were beaten. Those fleeing the village into Hungary were seen with broken limbs and disfigured faces. *992

       Furthermore, the Serbian parmilitary group, Martic's Militia, led by Milan Martic, was alleged to have been conducting paramilitary operations in Beli Manastir and to have organized camps and prisons in the county. In these camps, captured civilians and members of the Croatian Army were severely mistreated and/or killed. *993

2. Benkovac County *994

       Benkovac County is located in west-central Croatia. The pre- war population was 33,079. The ethnic breakdown of the population was 57.4 per cent Serbian, 40.6 per cent Croatian, and 2 per cent «other».

       On 21 December 1991, a paramilitary group under the leadership of Bogdan Gagic allegedly killed nine Croatians and one Serbian in the village of Bruska in Benkovac. Other inhabitants were reported to have been tortured or evicted. Although the report indicates that Gagic's group had 31 members it does not identify them nor does it provide any information as to the ethnicity of its members. *995

       In February 1993, the town of Benkovac in Benkovac County was reported to be under the complete control of Arkan. No details as to how this was accomplished were reported. *996

3. Daruvar County *997

       This county is located in north-central Croatia with a pre- war population of 29,978. Of this population 33.2 per cent was Serbian, 34.3 per cent Croatian, 27 per cent «other», and 5.5 per cent described as «Yugoslav».

       In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for Slavonia and Baranja allegedly formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade for the area of Daruvar, Grubisno Polje, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega. One formation of the brigade was the Unit of Daruvar, headquartered in Bijela. They also formed the Police of SAO Krajina and West Slavonia. *998

       The Unit of Daruvar and members of their police units allegedly participated in a number of attacks and incidents, often in concert with the JNA and other «Cetnik» forces. On 19 and 20 June 1991, five policemen were killed and five wounded during two separate attacks by members of the Unit of Daruvar. On 21 August 1991, the Unit of Daruvar began shelling Daruvar. The report indicated that the shelling of various villages within this county continued through 12 November 1991. *999

4. Dvor County

       Dvor County is located in south-central Croatia with BiH at its southern border. According to the 1991 census, the population was 14,636, of which 85.6 per cent was Serbian, 9.5 per cent Croatian, and 4.9 per cent «other».

       According to the Croatian Information Centre, a Serbian paramilitary group from Dvor na Uni, attacked two nearby villages, Kozibrod and Struga on 26 July 1991. The attack began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 9:00 p.m. that night. Allegedly, the attackers used civilians from the two villages as shields as they advanced on the Croat police station at Kozibrod. Once in control of the police facilities, the paramilitaries killed seven civilians and eight policemen. The report also lists eight civilians as seriously wounded by gunfire. *1000

5. Glina County *1001

       This county is located in central Croatia, with Zagreb to the north and BiH to the south. The pre-war population was 22,997, of which 60.5 per cent were Serbian, 35 per cent Croatian, and 4.5 per cent «other».

       Martic's Militia allegedly organized camps and prisons in Glina. In these camps, captured civilians and members of the Croatian Army were allegedly severely mistreated and killed. *1002

       According to a report from the Republic of Croatia, 22 Croatians, mostly elderly, were killed in the Glina village of Glinska Josevica on 16 December 1993 by a special Serbian Territorial Defence unit, the Visors, led by an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. Victims were killed in their homes with small-bore, silencer-equipped guns. The Croatian report claims that the attack was initiated by Serbian authorities in Glina to revenge the death of 19 members of Territorial Defence units killed in battle with the Croatian Army. *1003

6. Gracac County

       Gracac County is located in the central coastal area of Croatia. According to the 1991 census, its population was 11,060. The ethnic make up of this population was 82.3 per cent Serbian and 17.7 per cent Croatian.

       On 20 July 1991, about 10 members of the Serbian group the Velebit Unit allegedly carried out a mortar attack on Lovinac, killing one local woman. According to the report of the Republic of Croatia, they attacked the village again on 5 August 1991. One civilian was killed, and one reserve policeman and another civilian wounded. The perpetrators also caused significant property damage. On that same day, the members of the Velebit Unit took five villagers from their homes and killed them about 2 kilometres form Lovinac in the direction of Raduca. *1004

7. Grubisno Polje County *1005

       This county is located in the central region of northern Croatia. Its pre-war population was 14,186, of which 32.1 per cent was Serbian, 42.3 per cent Croatian, 4.5 per cent «Yugoslav», and 21.1 per cent «other». There are reports of both Serbian and Croatian paramilitary activity in this county.

8. Knin County *1009

       Knin County is located in the central, southern region of Croatia with BiH on its eastern border. According to the 1991 census, its population was 42,337, with 88.6 per cent Serb, 8.6 per cent Croat and 2.8 per cent «other».

       In January of 1993, Petar Pasic, Commissioner of the Croatian Government for the Knin municipality, requested that UNPROFOR do everything possible to protect the Croats who had chosen to remain in Knin, 800 of them in all. Refugees had been pouring into Knin from Benkovac and Obrovac, and Pasic described that because local troops had organized under the command of «Captain Dragan» and Cetnik formations and units of Arkan and Seselj had arrived in the region, life was rendered «unbearable and impossible». The report notes that refugees were forcibly moved into Croatian homes, and that Croatians were being taken to concentration camps and killed. *1010

       Serbian paramilitary forces led by Milan Martic are also alleged to have operated in and around Knin. Milan Martic is Minister of the Interior for the Republic of Serbian Krajina and, according to reports, he trained forces called the Marticevci for operations in Croatia and gave commands from offices stationed in Knin.

9. Krajina

       A cease-fire between Croat and Serb forces broke down during the third week of January 1993, when Croat troops launched an offensive in and around Krajina. This act, along with reports of Croat soldiers committing atrocities upon Serbian civilians, prompted hundreds of Serbians to volunteer their services in the fight against the Croats. *1011 In addition to the independent Serb volunteers traveling to the front lines, militiamen belonging to Seselj and Arkan had already arrived in Krajina and had seen action. *1012 In an interview, Seselj stated, «We will not allow Croatians, who killed one millions Serbs, to gain Serbian territory». Seselj also bragged that his men were responsible for killing 12 Croatian policemen in a 2 May ambush in north- eastern Croatia. In all, close to 4,000 of Seselj's and Arkan's men were said to have reinforced the Serb volunteers fighting in Krajina. *1013

10. Metkovic County

       This county is located north of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia with BiH on its eastern border. According to the 1991 census, the population was 22,774, of which 3.1 per cent was Serb, 93.7 per cent Croat, and 3.2 per cent «other».

       Paramilitary units of the Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) allegedly ran detention facilities for Serbian civilians at sites along the Dalmatian coast including one in Metkovic. Allegedly, these facilities contained civilians taken from the Capljina municipality of BiH.

11. Nova Gradiska County

       Nova Gradiska County is located in central Croatia along the northern border of BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population was 60,461 of which 20.8 per cent was Serb, 71.5 per cent Croat, 3 per cent «Yugoslav», and 4.5 per cent «other».

       Serbian paramilitary forces commanded by Milan Martic allegedly operated at Stara Gradiska, a village in Nova Gradiska on the Sava river.

12. Osijek County *1014

       Osijek County is located in eastern Croatia, just north of Vukovar County. As of 1991, it had a population of 164,577. The ethnic breakdown of the population was 20 per cent Serb, 66.6 per cent Croat, 8.4 per cent «other», and 5 per cent «Yugoslav». There were reports of both Serbian and Croatian paramilitary activity in this county.

13. Pakrac County *1021

       This county is located in UNPA Sector West. The 1991 census listed Pakrac County's population as 27,288, of which 46.4 per cent was Serb, 36 per cent Croat, 4.8 per cent «Yugoslavs» and 12.8 per cent «other».

       According to a report from the Republic of Croatia, on 19 August 1991, 39 members of the Serbian paramilitary units, called the XII Slavonian Shock brigade, attacked Pakrac. Croatian civilians were killed, evicted, or imprisoned at a camp in Bucje, and Croatian property in Pakrac was stolen or destroyed. The XII Slavonian Shock brigade was allegedly formed by the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party and included troops from the Unit of Daruvar and the Bilogorski Odred paramilitary units. *1022

       Croatian civilians in the village of Prekopakra were reportedly attacked by units of the XII Slavonian Shock brigade on 19 August 1991. An unspecified number of Croatian civilians was killed, evicted, or imprisoned at a camp in Bucje. Also, Croatian property in Prekopakra was allegedly stolen or destroyed. *1023

       The Serbian paramilitary group Martic's Militia allegedly organized camps and prisons in the village of Bucje, Pakrac county. In these camps, captured civilians and members of the Croatian Army were allegedly severely mistreated and/or killed. No further details were given in the report. *1024

14. Petrinja County *1025

       Petrinja County is located in central Croatia, with a population of 35,622. This population was 44.9 per cent Serb, 44.2 per cent Croat, 5.1 per cent «Yugoslav» and 5.8 per cent «other».

       In September 1990, Serbs from Petrinja and surrounding villages reportedly attacked the police station in Petrinja. It is alleged that they demanded the surrender of arms belonging to the Croatian Police Reserve. The Croatian Ministry of the Interior organized a transfer of arms in the direction of Sisak, but the Serbs reportedly stopped it at Moscenica and returned it to Petrinja. *1026

       The tension in Petrinja increased and reached a peak in 1991. As early as June 1991, Serbs from the villages surrounding Petrinja, helped by Arkan's and Seselj's men and units of the former Yugoslav army, attacked the Croatian Ministry of the Interior police station in the village of Kraljevcani. The policemen withdrew to Petrinja.

       Mass killings of civilian villagers allegedly followed in July 1991. A witness reported that frequent explosions at night were targeted at, among others, Serbs who remained loyal to the Croatian authorities.

       By 23 September 1991, all the defenders had left the city.

15. Podravska Slatina County *1027

       Podravska Slatina County is located in north-eastern Croatia, on the Hungarian border. The county had a population of 31,155 in 1991, of which 35.8 per cent was Serb, 57.2 per cent Croat, 3.5 per cent «Yugoslav» and 3.5 per cent «other».

       During June 1990, the Serbian Democratic Party was established in Podravska Slatina. On 19 August 1991, paramilitary troops under the command of Borivoje Lukic and Borivoje Radosavljevic occupied the police station at Vocin. *1028 In December 1991, 42 Vocin Croats were killed by Serbian paramilitary forces, including local Serbs, White Eagles, and «Cetniks». Many of the corpses were severely burned. Twenty other Croatians from nearby villages were also reportedly killed. The Roman Catholic church was blown up and many of the houses in Vocin were destroyed. *1029

       On 4 September 1991, Seseljovci and White Eagles allegedly attacked the villages of Vocin, Cetekovac, Balinci, and Coljug killing 44 residents. Some of those killed were said to have been tortured. *1030

       During the months of October to December 1991, units of the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade also attacked villages in Podravska Slatina. They used mortars, tank grenades, and rocket launchers in the attacks. *1031

16. Sisak County *1032

       This county is located in central Croatia, south-east of Zagreb. The pre-war population was 84,247, of which 22.8 per cent was Serb, 64.5 per cent Croat, 3.1 per cent Muslim, 4.4 per cent «Yugoslav» and 5.2 per cent «other».

       A report, sent from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Commission of Experts, alleges that, during the first half of 1991, a paramilitary unit called the Hawks destroyed a slaughterhouse and four shops belonging to Serbian residents in Sisak. The Hawks were reportedly linked to the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs. *1033

17. Slavonska Pozega County

       This county is located in the central eastern region of Croatia. As of 1991, its population was 71,299, of which 14 per cent was Serbian, 79.4 per cent Croatian and 6.6 per cent «other».

       After June 1991, the Bilogorski Odred participated in attacks in Slavonska Pozega, along with other units of the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade and the JNA. Allegedly, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade for operations in Slavonia, including Slavonska Pozega county. However, reports submitted to the Commission of Experts are not specific regarding paramilitary activity there. *1034

18. Split County *1035

       Split County is located on the southern coast of Croatia. It's population, according to the 191 census, was 206,612. The ethnic mix in Split was 4.2 per cent Serb, 87.3 per cent Croat, 8.5 per cent «other».

       Before being disbanded in August 1992, members of the Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) ran the Lora camp in Split for Bosnian Serb prisoners captured in Capljina County in south-west BiH. *1036

19. Titova Korenica County *1037

       This county is located in southern Croatia. The pre-war population was 11,307, of which 75.8 per cent was Serb, 16.8 per cent Croat, 3.5 per cent «Yugoslav», and 3.9 per cent «other».

       Serbian paramilitary forces commanded by Milan Martic also are alleged to operate in Titova Korenica County.

20. Virovitica County

       This county is located in northern Croatia. According to the 1991 census, the county's population was 46,498. This population was 15.7 per cent Serb, 76.8 per cent Croat, and 7.5 per cent «other».

       Virovitica is one of several Slavonian counties where the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade operated after June 1991. The Brigade launched infantry and mortar attacks and took prisoners throughout Slavonia, including Virovitica County.

21. Vukovar County *1038

       Vukovar County is in eastern Croatia, separated from Serbia by the Danube River. According to the 1991 census, the population of Vukovar County was 84,024, of which 37.4 per cent was Serb, 43.7 per cent Croat, 7.4 per cent «Yugoslav», and 11.6 per cent «other». There are reports of both Serbian and Croatian paramilitary activity in Vukovar County.

22. Zadar County *1088

       This county is located on the western coast of Croatia. Its population in 1991 was 134,881, of which 10.5 per cent was Serb, 83.4 per cent Croat and 6.1 per cent «other».

       The Belgrade news agency, Tanjug, reported that the Italian mercenary unit trained by Serbian commander Captain Dragan carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions along combat lines in the Velebit mountains, north of Zadar. *1089

       On 18 November 1991, Serbian paramilitaries, belonging to Seselj, reportedly attacked the civilian population of Skabrnja in the county of Zadar using tank and infantry units, and killing 16 civilians. *1090

C. Serbia

1. Hrtkovci

       The activities of Seselj's men in Hrtkovci began in early May of 1992, when Seselj delivered a speech on 6 May stating that all Croatians and Hungarians who had been disloyal in the last year's war would have to leave the town. One of his followers had a list which contained the names of 17 residents who were selected as the first group to leave. At the time, 70 per cent of the 3,000 person population was Croat. The first 17 left, but other lists followed. As of August of 1992, only 400 Croatians remained in the village. Those who chose to stay were forced to endure threatening letters, beatings, and attacks on their homes. *1091 Streets were renamed after Serb historical figures. The Seselj party even devised a slogan for its campaign to rid the area of Croats: «All Croats Out Of Hrtkovci». *1092

       Gangs of Serbs have forced Croats out of their homes, at times giving them mere days or hours to vacate their premises. *1093 Residents complained to the local police, but the police said that lacked authorization to act. Several people have been killed. *1094 Many citizens traveled to Belgrade in August of 1992 to protest the mistreatment of the Croatians in Hrtkovci. *1095

2. Kosovo

       The province of Kosovo, which is 90 per cent Albanian, has been the site of much tension between Serb forces and the Albanian civilian population. Serbs began their attempts to influence the Albanians' lives, both culturally and politically, in 1992 by closing colleges, dismissing 100,000 Albanian workers and replacing them with Serbs, and arming massive numbers of Serbs who live in the province. President of the Kosovo Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova, reported that he possessed secret information that paramilitary groups led by Arkan and Seselj were already present in Kosovo in 1992. Shots were fired at Albanian civilians and their houses. *1096 In December 1992, Arkan was elected to the Serbian parliament to represent Kosovo, and he established his headquarters in a Pristina hotel. Seselj called for the expulsion of 360,000 Kosovo Muslims in January of 1993, adding yet another cultural group to the conflict in that province. *1097 Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, was selected by Seselj in May of 1993 as the site for an anti-Albanian rally. This rally was planned in response to a strike by 1,500 journalists and other employees of the Rilindja newspaper. *1098

       By June 1993, Serb police were noted to «control everything and constantly terrorize the Albanian Kosovars». Belgrade had issued orders to «shoot to kill», and 25 innocent Albanians had already been shot at point-blank range. In all, 40,000 Serb military and 25,000 Serb policemen, as well as large numbers of the Serbian civilian population, were heavily armed. Thousands of Serb refugees from BiH and Croatia were purposefully resettled in Kosovo to weaken the huge Albanian majority in the province. Two Serb policemen were murdered in June, reportedly under Seselj's order so that he could blame the murders on the Albanians and fan the flames of an already tense situation. *1099 President Rugova hypothesized that Serb aggression in the area might provoke a wave of Albanian radicalism, whereby Seselj's followers might supply arms to radical Albanian groups to provoke incidents against the civilian population. *1100

       Although no longer Kosovo's representative in Parliament, Arkan was recently quoted as saying: «We are going to deport Rugova and open the border to (send back) all the emigrants from Albania. Over 700,000 Albanians must be sent back...Only those loyal citizens of Serbia will stay here.» *1101

3. Pljevlja

       Six of Seselj's followers were arrested for alleged involvement in acts of terrorism in the predominantly Muslim town of Pljevlja on 6 and 7 August 1992. The group was also charged with violent behaviour, interference with the work of the police, and aiding in the escape of arrested persons for incidents occurring on 8 and 9 August 1992. *1102

4. Sandzak

       Sandzak, the border area between Serbia and BiH, which is largely dominated by Muslims, was the locale for a wave of arson, kidnapping, and killing by Serb forces against the Muslim population. Allegedly, these acts were committed to distance Serbian Muslims from their ties with Bosnian Muslims. In March of 1993, 18 Muslims from Serbia and Montenegro were abducted from a train and remain missing. Other Muslims have been kidnapped from hospitals and villages. Beatings of civilians and the looting and burning of homes occurred in indeterminate numbers. A total of 9,500 people have fled from Sandzak and other Muslim districts in Serbia and Montenegro. Muslim party leaders charge that the attacks are another example of Serbian «ethnic cleansing», noting that Seselj himself had previously called for the «cleansing» of Muslims from the Sandzak region. *1103

5. Vojvodina

       In the Vojvodina city of Sombor in late December 1991 and early January 1992, explosives damaged a Croatian church, two Croatian restaurants, and the home of a prominent Croatian political leader. Arkan announced these bombings on the local radio. The Croatians have been told that they must leave the city by a certain date or be killed. *1104

       In May 1992, Vojvodina Muslims and Croatians, as well as Hungarians, fled their homes in fear of Seselj's men. Seselj's forces were reportedly threatening the villagers of Vojvodina during June 1992. Witnesses claim that the men told the villagers that they would not leave Vojvodina alive because Seselj's forces would kill them all. At night the forces were heard chanting, «Move out, Ustase, today is your last day, we will slaughter all of you tomorrow». *1105 The exact number of departures is unknown. Serbia denies that the refugees were forced out of their homes, saying that Croats departed voluntarily after agreeing to swap their properties for those belonging to Serbs in Croatia. *1106

       On 29 September 1992, in the northern Vojvodina town of Subotica, the local SRS leader stated that the party would be forming a paramilitary group to «cleanse Subotica of all those who do not recognize Serbia and its political and territorial integrity». Seselj was reportedly handing out arms to Serbian farmers in the region. *1107

Associated notes