Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Горњи Вакуф-Ускопље
—  Municipality and town  —
Location of Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Location of Gornji Vakuf - Uskoplje
Coordinates: 43°56′N 17°35′E / 43.933°N 17.583°E / 43.933; 17.583Coordinates: 43°56′N 17°35′E / 43.933°N 17.583°E / 43.933; 17.583
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity	Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government
• Municipality president	Sead Čaušević (SDA)
Area
• Total	402 km2 (155 sq mi)
Population (1991 census)
• Total	25,130
• Density	62.5/km2 (162/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Area code(s)	+387 30

Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje is a town and municipality in Central Bosnia (Bosnia and Herzegovina), located between Bugojno, Prozor-Rama, Kupres, Novi Travnik and Konjic. It is under the administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although settlement in the area stretches back to prehistoric times, the town with Gornji Vakuf name arose in the 16th century in the location of the existing settlement called Česta. The name Gornji Vakuf refers to the fact that the town was established as a waqf (Vakuf) by Bosniak nobility. Mehmed-beg Stočanin, a famous Bosniak bey, is a founder of Gornji Vakuf. This town has a typical Bosnian čaršija, which is common in Central Bosnia.

History [edit]

Bosnian War [edit]

Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje was made infamous as one of the first towns to suffer from the Croat-Bosniak war (1992-1994) during the Bosnian war (1992-1995) - as a critical node - was vital for UNPROFOR to hold to enable UNHCR supplies to move into the country. It was held by B Company Group 1 CHESHIRE from the British Army during part of early 1993 who lost LCpl Wayne Edwards, who was shot by a Croatian Defence Council (HVO) sniper.^{[why?][citation needed]}

Gornji Vakuf shelling [edit]

Gornji Vakuf is a town to the south of the Lašva Valley and of strategic importance at a crossroads en route to Central Bosnia. It is 48 kilometres from Novi Travnik and about one hour’s drive from Vitez in an armoured vehicle. For Croats it was a very important connection between the Lašva Valley and Herzegovina, two territories included in the self-proclaimed Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia. It was first attacked by Croat forces on June 20, 1992, along with Novi Travnik but the attack failed. During the Lašva Valley ethnic cleansing it was surrounded by Croatian Army and Croatian Defence Council and attacked with heavy artillery and other weapons (tanks and snipers). The Croat forces shelling reduced much of the historical oriental center of the town of Gornji Vakuf to rubble.^[1]

On 10 January 1993, just before the outbreak of hostilities in Gornji Vakuf, the Croat Defence Council (HVO) commander Luka Šekerija, sent a "Military – Top Secret" request to Colonel Tihomir Blaškić and Dario Kordić (later convicted by ICTY of war crimes and crimes against humanity, i.e. ethnic cleansing) for rounds of mortar shells available at the ammunition factory in Vitez.^[2] Fighting then broke out in Gornji Vakuf on January 11, 1993, sparked by a bomb which had been placed by Croats in a Bosniak-owned hotel that had been used as a military headquarters. A general outbreak of fighting followed and there was heavy shelling of the town that night by Croat artillery.^[1]

During cease-fire negotiations at the Britbat HQ in Gornji Vakuf, colonel Andrić, representing the HVO, demanded that the Bosnian Muslim 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.^[1][3] The HVO demands were not accepted by the ARBiH and the attack continued, followed by massacres of Bosnian Muslim civilians in the neighbouring villages of Bistrica, Uzričje, Duša, Ždrimci and Hrasnica.^[4][5] Although the Croats often cited it as a major reason for the attack on Gornji Vakuf, the commander of the British Britbat company claimed that he and his soldiers did not seen any Muslim Mujahideen in Gornji Vakuf.^[1] The shelling campaign and the attacks during the war resulted in hundreds of injured and deaths, mostly Bosnian Muslim civilians.

Settlements [edit]

• Batuša • Bistrica • Bojska • Boljkovac • Borova Ravan • Crkvice • Cvrče • Dobrošin • Donja Ričica • Dražev Dol • Duratbegov Dolac • Duša • Gaj • Galičica • Gornja Ričica • Gornji Mračaj • Gornji Vakuf • Grnica • Hrasnica • Humac • Jagnjid • Jelače • Jelići • Kozice • Krupa • Kute • Lužani • Mačkovac • Mračaj • Osredak • Pajić Polje • Paloč • Pidriš • Ploča • Podgrađe • Pridvorci • Rosulje • Seferovići • Seoci • Smrčevice • Svilići • Šugine Bare • Uzričje • Vaganjac • Valice • Vilić Polje • Voljevac • Voljice • Vrse • Zastinje i Ždrimci.

Demographics [edit]

1971 [edit]

19.344 total

• Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) - 10.482 (54,18%)
• Croats - 8.605 (44,48%)
• Serbs - 141 (0,72%)
• Yugoslavs - 18 (0,09%)
• others - 98 (0,53%)

1991 [edit]

In the census of 1991, the municipality of Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje had 25,130 inhabitants: 56.05% Bosniaks, 42.61% Croats, 0.60% Yugoslavs, 0.42% Serbs and 0.31% others.^[6]

The town itself had 5,349 residents, of which 61% Bosniaks, 34% Croats, 2% Yugoslavs, 1% Serbs and 1% others.

• Settlement: Bosniaks Srbs Croats Yugos Others Sum B% S% C% Y% O%
• G.Vakuf-1 3278 76 1817 126 52 5349 61% 1% 34% 2% 1%

Notable persons [edit]

• Branko Mikulić
• Matej Delač

Gallery [edit]

References [edit]

v t e Municipalities of the Central Bosnia Canton Bugojno Busovača Dobratići Donji Vakuf Fojnica Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Jajce Kiseljak Kreševo Novi Travnik Travnik Vitez

v t e Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina v t e Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska v t e Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina      Una-Sana  Central Bosnia  Posavina  Herzegovina-Neretva  Tuzla  West Herzegovina  Zenica-Doboj  Sarajevo  Bosnian Podrinje  Canton 10 v t e Districts of Bosnia and Herzegovina Brčko distrikt v t e Municipalities and cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina Capital Sarajevo Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Banovići Bihać Bosanska Krupa Bosanski Petrovac Bosansko Grahovo Bugojno Busovača Bužim Čapljina Cazin Čelić Centar, Sarajevo Čitluk Drvar Doboj East Doboj South Dobratići Domaljevac-Šamac Donji Vakuf Foča-Ustikolina Fojnica Glamoč Goražde Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Gračanica Gradačac Grude Hadžići Ilidža Ilijaš Jablanica Jajce Kakanj Kalesija Kiseljak Kladanj Ključ Konjic Kreševo Kupres Livno Ljubuški Lukavac Maglaj Mostar Neum Novi Grad, Sarajevo Novo Sarajevo Novi Travnik Odžak Olovo Orašje Pale-Prača Posušje Prozor-Rama Ravno Sanski Most Sapna Široki Brijeg Srebrenik Stari Grad, Sarajevo Stolac Teočak Tešanj Tomislavgrad Travnik Trnovo (FBiH) Tuzla Usora Vareš Velika Kladuša Visoko Vitez Vogošća Zavidovići Zenica Žepče Živinice Municipalities and cities of Republika Srpska Cities: Grad Banja Luka Grad Bijeljina Grad Doboj Grad Istočno Sarajevo Grad Prijedor Grad Trebinje Municipalities: Berkovići Bileća Brod Bratunac Čajniče Čelinac Derventa Donji Žabar Foča Gacko Bosanska Gradiška Han Pijesak Istočni Drvar Istočna Ilidža Istočni Mostar Istočni Stari Grad Istočno Novo Sarajevo Jezero Kalinovik Kneževo Kostajnica Kozarska Dubica Kotor Varoš Krupa na Uni Kupres Laktaši Ljubinje Lopare Milići Modriča Mrkonjić Grad Nevesinje Novi Grad Novo Goražde Osmaci Oštra Luka Pale Pelagićevo Petrovac Petrovo Prnjavor Ribnik Rogatica Rudo Šamac Šekovići Šipovo Sokolac Srbac Srebrenica Teslić Trnovo Ugljevik Višegrad Vlasenica Vukosavlje Zvornik

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje