Operation Storm

The operation Storm (Croatian: Operacija Oluja , Serb: Oпeрaциja Oлуja ) is a military offensive which lasted from August 4th to 7th 1995. It was carried out by the forces Croatian S on order of the government (the president of the Republic Franjo Tuđman and the Minister for defense Gojko Sušak) and the objective was to take again the area of Krajina, enclave under the effective control of the Serbe S of Croatia called also Serb République of Krajina. As of the shortly after the offensive, on August 5th at midday, the capital of the RSK, Knin is taken again. In less than four days, Croatia takes again the control of the major part of its occupied territories in 1991 (Dalmatie septentrional, Lika, Kordun and Banovina - a large mountainous territory like twice the Corsica ). Following this victory, on August 5th will become a national festival in Croatia.

The operation Storm: the exile and the repression of the Serb ones

In August 1995, the army and the Croatian police force took again the area of Krajina. Following this military offensive, in spite of the intervention of the Croatia, by the way of its president Franjo Tuđman, inviting the Serb population not to flee of at-them and to await the arrival of the Croatian army , the Serbe S preferred to answer the order of evacuation given by the president of RSK Milan Martić on August 4th 1995 to the evening. They are thus approximately 150.000 Serbe S of Croatia (90 000 according to the Croatian sources, 250.000 according to the Serb sources), of which the army Serbe of Croatia complete, which fled in direction of the Federal republic of Yugoslavia (Voïvodine) or of the Serb République of Bosnia in Bosnia-Herzégovine then under control of the Serbe S of Bosnia.

Shortly after this operation, of the members of the army and the Croatian police force S expelled of force the Serbes of the area. In the same way, they made acts of plundering, proceeded to assassinations, torture, blind reprisals towards the civilians who had remained in the area, as towards members of the armed forces Serbe S of Croatia which were withdrawn.

The role of the generals: The case Ante Gotovina

Many generals who took part in this offensive, amongst other things Ante Gotovina and Tihomir Blaškić, were shown to have financed (or let make) the repression and the massacres perpetrated by the Croatian troops.

Thus, between on August 4th 1995 and on November 15th 1995, Ante Gotovina, even or would have helped him by other members, persecutes, expelled and killed many Serbe S of the Krajina. One thus reproaches him for being in the beginning death of 150 civilians Serbe S and expulsion of the 150.000 others. The general was accused by TPIY of crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed against the population Serbe of Croatia during and after the Tempête operation. The initial lack of determination of the Croatian authorities to cooperate with the Court and to stop Ante Gotovina led the European Union to make the decision to defer the beginning of the negotiations for the entry of the Croatia in the European Union which were to begin on March 17th 2005. Officially accused by TPIY on May 21st 2001, Ante Gotovina was stopped on December 7th 2005 in the Canary islands (Spain). It was transferred and imprisoned on December 10th 2005 with $the Hague. To date, its lawsuit is always in authority of judgment.

See too

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