Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srem Источна Славонија, Барања и Западни Срем
Self-proclaimed insurgent entity
← 1991–1998 →
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem Bože Pravde
Capital	Vukovar
Government	Republic
Presidents of the Coordinating Committee	Slavko Domanovic (7 Aug 1995 - 1996)
	Goran Hadzic (1996 - 15 Jan 1998)
Historical era	Breakup of Yugoslavia
- Established	25 Jun 1991
- Incorporated into RSK	26 Feb 1992
- independent government	7 Aug 1995
- Placed under UNTAES control	15 Jan 1996
- Disestablished	15 Jan 1998
Population
- 1995 est.	160,000
Currency	Krajina dinar

President Goran Hadžić

Flag in use after 1995

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (Serbian: Источна Славонија, Барања и Западни Срем / Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srem) was a self-proclaimed Serb political entity in eastern Croatia, established during Yugoslav wars. It was one of three Serb Autonomous Oblasts (SAOs) proclaimed at the territory of Socialist Republic of Croatia. The region included parts of geographical regions of Slavonia, Baranja and Syrmia.

The entity was formed on June 25, 1991, the same day the Socialist Republic of Croatia decided to withdraw from Yugoslavia, following the Croatian independence referendum, 1991. In the first phase of the Croatian War of Independence, in 1992 the region joined the breakaway Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK). It was the last part of RSK to be reintegrated into Croatia, and the only one that was transformed through peaceful means, when the UNTAES mission was completed in 1998.

History

The Serbian Autonomous Oblast (SAO) of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (Serbian: Српска аутономна област Источна Славонија, Барања и Западни Срем / Srpska autonomna oblast Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srem) or SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (САО Источна Славонија, Барања и Западни Срем / SAO Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srem) was declared on June 25, 1991, and on June 26 its first president was declared to be Goran Hadžić. Like the SAO Krajina, it was developed by the Serbian National Council, but was the one representing Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.

Initially, it was a separate Serb autonomous region (oblast), but subsequently joined the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) in February 1992. Its borders were established as entrenched front lines of the first phase of the Croatian War of Independence. Up to August 1995, Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was de facto part of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, while de jure still a part of Croatia, per United Nations Security Council Resolution 753. The region did not have its own local regional administration within RSK. In jun 1995 The Republic of Serbian Krajina passed the decision to unite with the Republika Srpska but Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia declined due to rather unification with Vojvodina. It was overseen by UNPROFOR between 1992 and 1995, and by UNCRO between 1995 and 1996.

After main part of the Republic of Serbian Krajina was captured by Croatian military forces in August 1995, Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia became de facto self-governing territory. In November 1995, local Serb leaders signed Erdut Agreement, which predicted integration of this region into Croatia. It later went on to be under UN Administration under UNTAES (in 1996), while it was peacefully integrated into Croatia in 1998. It was sometimes called Podunavska Krajina (Danube Krajina) by Serbs or Hrvatsko Podunavlje (Croatian Danube) by Croats, while the name often used for it between 1995 and 1998 was Syrmia-Baranja Oblast (Serbian/Croatian: Sremsko-baranjska oblast/Srijemsko-baranjska oblast). Sometimes, shortened name Eastern Slavonia (Serbian/Croatian: Istočna Slavonija) was also used as a designation for this region.

Events after the completion of reintegration

Upon completion of the reintegration at the territory of the former Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia is established unit called Joint Council of Municipalities as a result of Erdut Agreement. However,this unit can not legally be linked as successor of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia but as a new legal institution. In the former capital Vukovar in 1998 was opened a consulate general of the Republic of Serbia. In the area was established or continued to work a large number of Serbian minority institutions such as Eparchy of Osečko polje and Baranja, Radio Borovo, Association for Serbian language and literature in the Republic of Croatia, Independent Democratic Serb Party... Croatia and Serbia still have open border disputes in this area around the two islands on the Danube - Island of Vukovar and Island of Šarengrad.

Geography

Territory of former Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was part of the Central European Pannonian Basin. The eastern border of region was mostly the Danube river, while approximately one third of the western border was the Drava river. The Kopački rit natural preserve located near the confluence of Drava and Danube formed a major geographical barrier - there were no road or rail connections between Baranja and the southern parts of the territory, except through Serbia.

Other boundaries were not natural boundaries: the border with Hungary in the north had existed since the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the eastern border with FR Yugoslavia partly existed since the Kingdom of Slavonia (on the Danube) and was partly set with the formation of SFR Yugoslavia, while the border with the rest of Croatia in the west and south was formed after the fronts were settled in the first phase of the Croatian War of Independence.

Eastern Slavonia is a mostly flat area, with the best type of soil where agriculture is highly developed, particularly on wheat fields, and it also has several forests as well as vineyards.

The Đeletovci Oil fields are located between the villages of Đeletovci, Šidski Banovci and Nijemci.

Traffic over the Brotherhood and Unity Highway (today the A3) was interrupted with the formation of the ESBWS. The water transport over the Danube river continued unobstructed. The Drava river was not navigated at the time. The railway line between Zagreb and Belgrade and the transport between the Budapest and Sarajevo passing through the area were also closed.

Population

The population of this area was ethnically mixed. Before the war, the total population of the area numbered 192,163 inhabitants, and was composed of:

• 90,454 (47%) Croats,
• 61,492 (32%) Serbs, and
• 40,217 (21%) others (Hungarians, Roma, Yugoslavs, Germans, Rusyns, Slovaks, etc).

During the 1991-1995 War in Croatia, 109,500 Serbs lived in this area out of a total of 160,000.

Municipalities and Inhabited places

During the existence of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, the region was divided into five municipalities:

• Beli Manastir (in Baranja),
• Dalj and Tenja (in eastern Slavonia), and
• Vukovar and Mirkovci (in western Syrmia).

Main cities in the area were Vukovar and Beli Manastir. Other important places included Borovo Selo, Darda, Dalj, Ilok, and Tenja.

See also

• SAO Krajina
• SAO Western Slavonia
• Republic of Serbian Krajina
• United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium
• Erdut Agreement
• Joint Council of Municipalities
• SAO Bosanska Krajina

Further reading

• The Thorny Issue of Ethnic Autonomy in Croatia: Serb Leaders and Proposals for Autonomy, Nina Caspersen, London School of Economics and Political Science (http://www.ecmi.de/fileadmin/downloads/publications/JEMIE/2003/nr3/Focus3-2003_Caspersen.pdf)

External links

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