Sutorina dispute

The Sutorina dispute refers to differing views held by Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the territory of Sutorina.[1] Between the Berlin Congress of 1878 and the aftermath of World War II in 1947, the territory of Sutorina was a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina within Austria-Hungary and the first Yugoslavia, but then became part of the SR Montenegro within second Yugoslavia.

Some Bosnian officials have claimed that the territory transfer was illegal, disputing Montenegrin sovereignty over the area.


History

Main article: Sutorina
Location of Sutorina.
The legal territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, specified by the Berlin Congress. The map includes Sutorina.

The 5 nmi (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) long coast on the west side of the entrance to the Boka Kotorska, from Cape Kobila to Igalo, known generally as Sutorina, includes the Sutorina valley including 6 towns and villages: Igalo, Sutorina, Sušćepan, Prijevor, Ratiševina and Kruševice, an area of 75 km².

Cape Kobila was the boundary between Sutorina and Prevlaka (Konavle) under the control of the Republic of Ragusa since 1699.[2]

This outlet to the sea was the subject of two international treaties: the 1699 Treaty of Carlowitz assigned the region (as well as Neum) to the Ottoman Empire's Bosnia Eyalet (thereby cordoning off the Republic of Ragusa from the Republic of Venice), an arrangement that was subsequently confirmed by the Congress of Berlin in 1878, when it became part of the Austro-Hungarian occupied Bosnia.[3] After World War I, it became part of the Mostar Oblast of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and subsequently the Trebinje district of the Zeta Banovina within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.[3]

After World War II, in 1947 when the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia authorities were deciding on the internal borders of the constituent republics, Sutorina became part of the constituent People's Republic of Montenegro.[3] Reportedly, this came about as a land swap deal brokered between local communist politicians — Avdo Humo and Đuro Pucar representing the People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on one side and Blažo Jovanović representing PR Montenegro on the other — who made the agreement with the permission of Josip Broz Tito and Vladimir Bakarić.[3] PR Bosnia and Herzegovina ceded the territory near Sutorina, Igalo and Njivice and received territory east of Sutjeska river, including the Maglić mountain villages of Kruševo and Vučevo.[3]

Milovan Đilas as the president of "Commission for borders" advocated that Sutorina should belong to the People's Republic of Montenegro. It is assumed that he had Tito's support. In the borders defined at the 2nd AVNOJ meeting in 1943, Sutorina was included within PR Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Recent events

See also

References

  1. "Message from Sarajevo:Sutorina is ours!". radiosarajevo.ba. Radio Sarajevo.ba. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  2. Blake & Topalović 1996, p. 43.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Radoslav Dodig (2006-06-16). "BiH traži Boku?". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian).
  4. Vladika traži Sutorinu, Radio Free Europe (Bosnian)
  5. SNS: Ako se preda Prevlaka treba vratiti i Sutorinu (Bosnian)
  6. Božidar Vučurević: Sutorina pripada BIH (Bosnian)
  7. "Alickovic states that Sutorina is a historical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina". radiosarajevo.ba. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  8. Klix.ba. "Sutorina is valuable for Bosnia and Herzegovina". klix.ba. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  9. Klix.ba. "Historians state that "Sutorina is Bosnia", Berlin Congress confirms it.". klix.ba. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  10. "Sutorina Resolution". http://portalanalitika.me/. Retrieved 14 January 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  11. "The Montenegrin president withdraws ambassadors in Bosnia and Herzegovina (In Bosnian.)". radiosarajevo.ba. Radio Sarajevo. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  12. Klix.ba. "With standing ovations and a full Parliament, the Bosnian officials fatefully said "Yes" to get to action in returning Sutorina to Bosnia and Herzegovina.". klix.ba. klix.ba. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  13. http://www.bosniatoday.ba/american-congressman-michael-turner-warns-bosnia-over-territorial-dispute-with-montenegro/
  14. http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/montenegro-press-review-march-3-2015
  15. http://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/vkbi-crna-gora-treba-priznati-kradju-teritorije-sutorina-nije-karadziceva-ideja/150310075

Sources

External links

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