Politics of Revenge

The Una Sana canton, a province in northwestern Bosnia, is currently controlled by the SDA, with officials loyal to the SDA dominating almost all aspects of government, including law enforcement, public utilities and medical and educational institutions, and the economy. The international community has focused relatively little attention on the Una Sana canton because, in contrast to other regions of Bosnia and Hercegovina, the human rights abuses committed there are generally motivated by partisan politics rather than ethnic chauvinism. This report provides evidence that human rights abuses against opponents of Alija Izetbegovic's Party of Democratic Action (Stranka Demokratske Akcije, SDA) have become a cornerstone of the local government's policy and practice in Bihac, Cazin, and Velika Kladu_a, and that this policy is consistent with the SDA's increasingly nationalistic ideology.