X-Nico

10 unusual facts about HVO


Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The indictment charged Nikola Andrun with acting contrary to Geneva Conventions in his capacity as the deputy head of the camp "Gabela" (municipality of Čapljina) during the second half of 1993, at the time of a conflict between the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defense Council (HVO).

Lašva Valley ethnic cleansing

The ICTY accepted that the market place in Zenica was shelled by HVO on 19 April 1993 from the village of Putičevo, 15 kilometres from Zenica, killing 15 people and injuring another 50.

On 10 January 1993, just before the outbreak of hostilities in Gornji Vakuf, the HVO commander Luka Šekerija, sent a "Military – Top Secret" request to Colonel Blaškić and Dario Kordić for rounds of mortar shells available at the ammunition factory in Vitez.

During cease-fire negotiations at the Britbat HQ in Gornji Vakuf, colonel Andrić, representing the HVO, demanded that the Bosnian forces lay down their arms and accept HVO control of the town, threatening that if they did not agree he would flatten Gornji Vakuf to the ground.

Milivoj Petković

In the indictment it is alleged that, as the overall HVO commander, Petković directly commanded the Herceg-Bosna/HVO armed forces and is responsible for its actions.

Mladen Naletilić

In November 1993 Naletilić was in conflict with general of HVO, Slobodan Praljak, who was later forced to leave the post of Chief of Staff of HVO because of that.

Slobodan Praljak

In his role as a high ranking official in the Ministry of Defense he was closely involved in all aspects of not only the Herceg-Bosna/HVO military planning and operations but the actions of the Herceg-Bosna/HVO civilian police too.

In his indictment it is alleged that Praljak as a senior military official commanded directly and indirectly the Herceg-Bosna/HVO armed forces which committed mass war crimes against Bosnian Muslim population in around 30 municipalities in Bosnian and Herzegovina.

United World College in Mostar

Mostar is widely known by the famous Old Bridge (Stari Most), originally built in 1566, destroyed by HVO forces during the Bosnian War in 1993 and rebuilt in 2004.

Valentin Ćorić

In 1992 he was appointed Deputy for Security and Commander of the Military Police of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO).


Ante Prkačin

After Blaž Kraljević was killed in August 1992, Prkačin participated in the negotiations of HOS and Croatian Defence Council (HVO).

Bruno Stojić

Stojić had the ability and authority to issue organisational, strategic and combat orders in the HVO prison system.

HVO intelligence service known as Security and Information Service (SIS)

Dario Kordić

There were also reports that HVO soldiers, under his command, committed atrocities in and around Zenica.

History of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The 6th Corps (Konjic) was formed in June 1993 from the 4th Corps Northern Herzegovina Operational Group, to occupy northern Hercegovina from the HVO and eventually reach the Adriatic coast.

Ivica Rajić

Rajić operated out of the central Bosnian town of Kiseljak as the Commander of the Second Operational Group of the HVO’s Central Bosnia Operative Zone.