Neum in numerous games: If a third entity is created, would Čović give Dodik a third of Bosnia's coast?!

Everything that is happening today with Neum is just a part of an old war scenario. Some roles and nuances have changed on the path to the identical goal. Croatia today announces the construction of the so-called Pelješac Bridge to create compactness of its territory, while at the same time, contrary to international laws, it is closing off Bosnia and Herzegovina's free access to the open sea. The question is what lies behind all this? The Euro-Atlantic factor could be shocked by the final solution to this unusual story, and the big games.                 

It is worth recalling how the father of the nation and great statesman Franjo Tuđman spoke on September 15, 1993, in his office about the essence of the Republic of Croatia's relations towards Neum:

- I rejected any thought that (Bosniaks) could get Neum – Tuđman said.

- Instead of Neum, I told them either a free zone in Ploče, or even the possibility to build themselves a port on the Neretva, since it is navigable to Metković, and probably can be made navigable a few more kilometers upstream.

- Neum is out of the question, but they can have access to the sea in a free zone or, if that is not satisfactory, the construction of a port on their territory can be considered, that is Tasovčići or somewhere around there – Tuđman proposed. Tasovčići in BiH is a land area, a little above Čapljina and 20 kilometers away from the mouth of the Neretva into the sea. Somewhat later, Tuđman will go down the Neretva about ten kilometers lower and offer the settlement of Čeljevo, in southern BiH.          

On December 9, 1993, at the Hunting Lodge Dobanovci near Belgrade, the Serbian delegation with Milošević, Karadžić and Krajišnik, and the Croatian delegation with Šarinić and Akmadžić met with David Owen and Stoltenberg. They marked the topic of the conversation as the question: „How to agree on access to the sea for Muslims Bosniaks and the Serbian republic“.  Tuđman did not give Neum, so the trade moved to the fertile valley of Konavle in Croatia, which stretches to Montenegro.    

Šarinić then said that in Geneva, positions were presented to enable Muslims access to the sea through the territory of Konavle from Molunat to Vitaljina, and Serbs from Vitaljina to Cape Oštro. Karadžić shouted: Why can't it go to Popović, President Tuđman promised me that!

In another variant, the possibility of dividing the coast in Neum was also discussed. However, Krajišnik said that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, Haris Silajdžić, snapped at him that they want the entire Neum and that no agreements interest them.      

In further discussions around the Owen-Stoltenberg plan, Croatian President Franjo Tuđman organized a meeting on December 19, 1993, with the leaders of the so-called Herceg-Bosna. The meeting was also attended by Hrvoje Šarinić, then head of Tuđman's office, Mate Granić, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Željko Dobranović, brigadier, Tuđman's advisor for military affairs. They also discussed Neum and shifting borders.

Željko Dobranović: - Meaning non-recognition of the Muslim demand for Neum...

Franjo Tuđman then admitted that he was talking about the sea coast only to stop the war in which the HVO was suffering defeat after defeat, finally revealing his hypocritical policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosniaks: -They (Bosniaks) could build a port near Čeljevo, with the clear understanding that in perspective, the construction of that port is a pipe dream – said Tuđman. Čeljevo is otherwise more than 10 kilometers upstream from the mouth of the Neretva towards Čapljina.

Mile Akmadžić speaks up, who is more radical than Tuđman and proposes that the border goes north, further towards Stolac, from Buna Blagaj upwards. „To completely eliminate them (Bosniaks), Mr. President, at least to Čapljina“.

At that same meeting, Šarinić is in a dilemma:

-What if the Serbs agree to Neum and access to the sea.

Tuđman asks and answers: –How then to position ourselves towards the Serbs regarding Prevlaka (Prevlaka was offered as access to the Serbian part of the sea)? Towards the Serbs regarding Prevlaka, Vitaljina – says Tuđman, again trading the eastern part of Konavle.

Šarinić adds: - We offered the Serbs that part of 5.5 kilometers, down there, but they wanted up to Molunat... The Serbs say, we renounce the right to Neum, if you give us here (Konavle), we won't cause you problems. 

-If they agreed to a part in Neum, then the matter is resolved - Šušak interjects.

When Bosniaks are mentioned in connection with Neum, then it cannot even be considered by Tuđman and Šušak, it is a „pipe dream“, but when Serbs are mentioned, then everything is possible and even the allocation of the beautiful territory of Konavle is a must.

In the questions and answers as to why Dodik supports Čović and Čović supports Dodik, some reasons and motives can be guessed. If a third entity were to be realized, demands would follow for a three-way division of the 24-kilometer-long sea coast of BiH, which would allocate eight kilometers to each entity. The Bosniak part of the coast would be a „pipe dream“, as Tuđman said, while the Serbian part would be a very realistic access to the Mediterranean. The old wartime agreements between Serbs and Croats for the partition of BiH are still very much alive. How else to explain the current mass emigration of Croats from the so-called former war corridor that goes from Serbia towards Banja Luka. Bosniaks in Brčko are saying in panic that their Croatian neighbors from Brčko are simply disappearing. Why, no one understands. Only a few conclude that some secret powerful hands are fulfilling old war plans against Bosnia and Herzegovina, destroying its thousand-year multi-ethnic history. There are indications that in this very global game, the regimes of Serbia and Croatia are actively conspiring.