Fikret Abdić facts for kids

Fikret Abdić (born 29 September 1939) is a Bosnian politician and businessman. People often call him Babo, which means Daddy. In the 1980s, he became famous for leading a big farming company called Agrokomerc in Velika Kladuša. He helped it grow into one of the largest businesses in SFR Yugoslavia, which was the country before Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 1990, he won the most votes in the Bosnian presidential elections. Later, during the Bosnian War in the early 1990s, Abdić disagreed with the official Bosnian government. He created a small, independent area called the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia. This mini-state was in the northwestern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, around Velika Kladuša.

This small state existed from 1993 to 1995. It was allied with the Army of Republika Srpska. In 2002, a court in Croatia found him responsible for actions against people loyal to the Bosnian government during the war. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, which was later reduced to 15 years.

He was released from prison in March 2012. In June 2020, he was arrested again because of suspicions of misusing his power as Mayor.

Early Life and Career

Fikret Abdić was born on 29 September 1939, in a village called Donja Vidovska, near Velika Kladuša, in what was then Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Building Agrokomerc

Before the war, Abdić was the director of Agrokomerc. He transformed this company from a small farming group into a large food business. It employed over 13,000 people and greatly improved the economy of the whole area.

Agrokomerc helped Velika Kladuša change from a poor region to a strong economic center. Local people in Velika Kladuša affectionately called him Babo, meaning Daddy. He managed the company with strong support from important politicians.

In the late 1980s, a financial scandal happened at Agrokomerc. Abdić was put in prison because of these financial issues. This event caused a big stir across Yugoslavia. After being released, he decided to join the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). He then ran for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990 elections.

Entering Politics

In the 1990 elections, voters chose seven members for the presidency. Two Bosniaks, two Serbs, two Croats, and one Yugoslav were elected. Abdić and Alija Izetbegović ran for the two Bosniak positions. Both of them were elected.

Abdić actually won more votes than Izetbegović. However, he did not become the head of the Presidency. The reasons for this are not fully known.

Role in the Presidency

After the elections, nationalist parties gained power in Yugoslavia. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Muslims supported the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). Fikret Abdić, who had been a member of the League of Communists, joined the SDA and became one of its leaders.

In the 1990 election for the Presidency, Abdić received many more votes than Izetbegović. Both were elected to represent Muslims. This made Abdić a strong figure within the SDA. However, he stepped back after being isolated by other SDA leaders. He agreed to simply be a member of the Presidency.

Abdić believed that Izetbegović wanted to create a single state ruled by Bosnian Muslims. As a member of the Presidency, Abdić spoke out against some of Izetbegović's decisions. Tensions grew between them. Abdić left Sarajevo in August 1992, seeing the terrible effects of the war.

During the conflict between Croats and Muslims in 1993, Abdić strongly pushed for talks. He believed negotiations were the only way to stop the fighting. He emphasized the need to create a peaceful environment for discussions. His focus on peace showed his different approach compared to Izetbegović.

Lord Owen, a British diplomat, described Abdić as someone who was "forthright, confident and different". He said Abdić was in favor of talking and finding compromises with Croats and Serbs. He also noted that Abdić was critical of those who wanted to block such agreements.

The Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia

Western Bosnia in 1994

Abdić used his business connections to keep his city supplied with goods like cigarettes and coffee. This was important because the city was surrounded by Serb forces. Abdić had strong support from the local people.

In 1992, the Bihać area was surrounded by different forces. The local army, the 5th Corps, did not have enough weapons to protect Bihać. In 1993, a French United Nations force arrived, but their power was limited.

On 27 September 1993, Abdić declared the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia in Velika Kladuša. This area acted like a small state, with its own prime minister and parliament. However, many Bosnian Muslims from Bihać did not support this independent area. They remained loyal to the Sarajevo government.

In October 1993, Abdić signed agreements with leaders from other groups. He signed a statement with Mate Boban, the president of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia. The next day, he signed a declaration with Radovan Karadžić, the president of Republika Srpska. Both agreements aimed for peace. Abdić believed these agreements would protect the people in Western Bosnia from more fighting.

Some parts of the Bosnian army in Velika Kladuša joined Abdić's side. During this time, there were reports of difficult conditions for those who opposed Abdić's government.

The signing of the Washington Agreement in March 1994 helped end the Croat-Bosniak War. This weakened Abdić's position. The 5th Corps of the Bosnian army then defeated Western Bosnia in a military operation.

However, Abdić managed to rebuild his army. This army was supported and trained by the Army of Republika Srpska. They fought together and successfully brought Western Bosnia back. The Serbs used this situation to strengthen their own position and Abdić's.

On 1 August 1995, Abdić declared the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia a republic. But this republic only lasted for seven days. On 7 August 1995, it collapsed. The Bosnian Army and the Croatian Army took control of the area. After this, Abdić fled to Croatia.

Life After the War

After the war, Abdić was given political asylum and citizenship by the Croatian President, Franjo Tuđman. He lived near the city of Rijeka. The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina accused him of causing the deaths of many civilians and prisoners of war in the Bihać area. However, Croatia refused to send him back to Bosnia.

After Tuđman's death in 1999 and a change in the Croatian government, Croatian authorities arrested Abdić. In 2002, he was found responsible for war crimes committed in the "Bihać pocket" area. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In 2005, the Croatian Supreme Court reduced his sentence to 15 years.

He was released from prison on 8 March 2012, after serving ten years of his sentence. Thousands of supporters from Velika Kladuša greeted him joyfully.

Abdić ran for the position of Bosniak member of the Bosnian presidency in 2002. He received 4.1% of the votes. Bosnian law did not stop him from running for office, even though he was convicted in Croatia.

In 2016, Abdić ran for mayor of Velika Kladuša. He won the election with 48.10% of the votes and became the new mayor. In June 2020, he was arrested again by Bosnian police as part of an investigation into corruption involving several city officials. He was held before trial but was released in October. This allowed him to participate in the re-election campaign for the 2020 municipal elections, which he won again. In March 2021, prosecutors formally charged Abdić and six other officials with corruption related to public contracts.

See also

• Elvira Abdić-Jelenović

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