The Crossroads of the War

It may turn out that Osijek's biggest misfortune is to be situated so close Vukovar. The war has its own logic : if the strategic vision and the political aim are not clearly defined, the war goes on chaotically, step by step, mile by mile, like a rhinoceros in a dark night. The war in Slavonija is progressing by inertia. Vukovar is next, Osijek is next.. No explanation was given for the attack on Vukovar, except the unblocking of the Army barrack, which, in effect, was liberated at the beginning of November. Goran Hadzic, the prime minister of SAO Slavonija ( Serbian Autonomous Region ), claims that, "according to the historical facts", Osijek is a Serbian town.

There is no Army left in Osijek - "We've pulled out from there", said general Kadijevic ( Federal Defence Minister ) three months ago. The inhabitants remain. There are 20% Serbs, 66% Croatians, 5% Yugoslavs, 1,8% Hungarians... 66,1% are Catholic, 18,8% are Orthodox, 1,3% are Protestant and 5,3% are atheists. The Osijek municipality has 164,577 inhabitants, according to the 1991 census.

The population was, in the meantime, increased by a few thousand refugees from the Baranja region, and reduced by the ones who fled to Serbia.

The genuine historical facts confirm that Osijek is a Serbian town, but not in the way which would satisfy Mr. Hadzic. It has for centuries served as an important garrison in the middle of the rich Slavonian plane. Serbs have been living there during all that time, as tradesmen, craftsmen, observing their tradition. The much criticized Austro- Hungarian Empire managed not only to make the lives of Serbs possible in Osijek and Slavonija, but also to create and preserve the climate of tolerance. Despite all, it lasted until today and, as we learn, it still exists. Osijek has for centuries succeeded in keeping the delicate balance between nations. And then the immigrants came.

After the Second World War, people from the poor regions started settling in Baranja and Slavonija. They were mostly Serbs from Bosnia and Krajina, and Croatians from the Dalmatian inland and Western Herzegovina. In terms of culture and mentality, there was no difference between them : both Croatians and Serbs wanted to live and work in cities. The differences were of religious and political nature: Serbs from the ever rebellious Krajina and Croatians from Dalmatia and Herzegovina have become first neighbours. The potentially combustible mixture was thus set; the detonator was activated last summer.

It took almost a year of hard work to provoke a serious Serbo-Croatian conflict in the Osijek region. The late Josip Reihl Kir, Osijek police chief, who had eight neighbouring municipalities under his jurisdiction, has been successfully preventing the conflict for a year. When asked to comment on whether or not there was a difference between Serbian and Croatian "newcomers", he said: "There is no difference at all. They are the same". Until July 1 of this year Josip Reihl Kir was persistently calling in villages and barracks, alone, unarmed, eloquent, trying to appease the hot blooded, convincing the frightened that there is still one law for all and a state to implement it. On July 1, at high noon, Josip Reihl Kir was killed from ambush in the notorious village of Tenja. His murderers were Croatians, the immigrants from Dalmatia.

Starting from the electoral victory of HDZ ( Croatian Democratic Union - ruling party in Croatia ) in May 1990 until the beginning of July 1991 three parties were involved in the underground political manoeuvre aimed at conquering Osijek: the legally elected authorities, the HDZ right wing extremists and the Army. The battle was waged by subversive means: set ups, frauds, plots, intrigues...

Serbs from Osijek stayed away from the mainstream, as they still do, as much as they could. Representing 1/5 of the population, they were trying to keep the balance, being aware of the fact that one should not rock a well anchored boat. The attempts of Mr. Vojislav Vukcevic, the president of SDS ( Serbian Democratic Party ) for Slavonija and Baranja and a distinguished lawyer , to preserve the tradition of dialogue and political negotiating was, however, cruelly thwarted. Dr. Vukcevic was dismissed from his position, the moderate SDS politicians were pushed aside and the Serbian National Council took over, just like in Knin. It was a fierce blow to the native Serbs, accustomed to solving problems by peaceful means. The desired atmosphere of uncertainty and fear set in. Thanks to both sides - the Army and the HDZ extremists - after a series of political incidents ( e.g. the scandal in connection with the clandestine armament of the Croatian paramilitary formations in January this year) the Army tanks were brought to the streets of Osijek by the end of June. Seventeen people were wounded. Josip Reihl Kir managed to calm the situation to a certain extent. ("Officers must obey orders", he said to our reporter two days before he was killed.) The tension reached a climax on September 3, when mortar duels started. The Army and the Serbian irregulars have in the meantime conquered Baranja and are positioned along the Drava river. Since the beginning of September Osijek has been exposed to multiple rocket launchers and other artillery fire. The aims are picked arbitrarily. Thus the Serbs from Osijek - like their compatriots from Vukovar before them - have found themselves between the Army hammer and the Croatian anvil.

Judging from all this, Croatia is firmly determined to defend Osijek, since it has no choice: the downfall of Osijek would mean the definite loss of Slavonija and a farewell to Baranja. To what degree is the other side resolute to attack Osijek ? Right now (Thursday, November 28) the Osijek region is quiet. The Army and a small number of irregulars are positioned at around 10 kilometres south of the city. Mr. Goran Hadzic is relishing at the thought of seizing the factory "Saponija" ( cosmetics ) and other industrial plants in Osijek. Zeljko Raznjatovic Arkan (a criminal and the leader of the irregulars) and his "fighters" have already given an ultimatum to Osijek to surrenders, like in the sixteenth century and the

Thirty Year War ( which all this is increasingly beginning to resemble ). If Osijek surrender, will its inhabitants be spared, provided they pay their dues ? Osijek is a beautiful and affluent town. After Vukovar, it is time to ask ourselves: is the ground on which the city was built more valuable than the city itself ? Destroying whole towns belongs to the bygone era. Is Osijek worth destroying ?