Šušak Apologized in 1995 for Incidents During Operation Storm
The then Minister of Defense expressed regret over the death of a Danish UNCRO member and other incidents, emphasizing that efforts to spare civilians were maximal.
The then Minister of Defense expressed regret over the death of a Danish UNCRO member and other incidents, emphasizing that efforts to spare civilians were maximal.
On this day, August 7, 1995, the then Minister of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, Gojko Šušak, officially announced the end of the military-police operation "Operation Storm." At a press conference held by the Information Headquarters of the Political Directorate of the Croatian Ministry of Defense, Šušak confirmed that the constitutional and legal order had been fully established in the previously occupied areas, but he also formally apologized for the incidents that occurred during the operation.
"The military operation Storm '95 in the former sectors North and South has been completed, and the constitutional and legal order and control over those Croatian areas have been fully established today at 6 PM," Šušak stated. The operation, which began on August 4 at 5 AM, lasted 84 hours. The Croatian Army and Police then took positions along the internationally recognized borders of the state.
The Minister reported that during the operation, Croatian armed forces suffered 118 killed and 620 wounded soldiers. At the time of the press conference, at 6:30 PM in Topusko, between five and six thousand rebels were surrendering, and armed combat was no longer ongoing. Šušak noted that only police actions were still possible.
Explaining the reasons for launching the operation, Šušak emphasized that the Croatian leadership, in cooperation with the international community, had spent the previous four years trying to peacefully reintegrate the occupied areas. "I deeply believe that had the situation around Bihać not occurred, efforts would have continued in that direction," he assessed.
He stressed that Croatia could not allow the merging of the so-called "Republika Srpska" and the so-called "Krajina," which, as he estimated, would have made the liberation of Croatian territories ten times more difficult. The decision to launch the operation was made ten days earlier because, after the fall of Srebrenica and Žepa, Zagreb could not allow the same to happen to Bihać.
In the key part of his address, Šušak addressed the unfortunate events. "Several incidents occurred during this operation, for which, as representatives of the Republic of Croatia, we feel obliged to apologize, especially to the Kingdom of Denmark," he said.
He clarified which cases were involved. The first concerned the death of a Danish member of the UNCRO peacekeeping mission. The second incident involved a Croatian officer who used several Danes as human shields. "Fortunately, it passed without consequences; we took legal measures and that man has been detained," Šušak stated, adding that the public would be informed after the court proceedings. The Minister also expressed regret over the deaths of two members of the Czech battalion.
Nevertheless, he placed these events in the context of the scale of the operation, in which, according to his words, more than 200,000 soldiers participated on both sides, including forces of the Federation of BiH based on the Split Agreement. "Taking that into account, the mentioned incidents are minor," Šušak concluded.
The Minister particularly emphasized the efforts of the Croatian Army to protect the civilian population. "We tried everything to treat civilians in accordance with international law. On the first day of the operation, we attempted to bypass all major settlements, giving the rebel Serbs another chance to surrender. Instead of surrendering, they began shelling Croatian cities, so it was decided to carry out the operation to the end. That was done today around 6 PM," he stated.
He also addressed the fate of the defeated forces, reiterating a clear stance: all those who wish to leave the Republic of Croatia may do so, while those who decide to stay must report to the civilian police and Croatian authorities.
