Pro-Government Militias
Serbian Guard (Yugoslavia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 378 |
| Country: | Yugoslavia |
| Date formed: | Dec. 17, 1991 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | The Serbian Renaissance Movement (also known Serbian Renewal Party) formed the Serbian Guard in July 1991. |
| Date dissolved: | Oct. 8, 2000 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | In December 1991, the Serbian Guard was put under JNA command. There is no mention of the Serbian Guard after February 1992. The date of termination refers to the time when Milosevic lost influence in government. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | political party; state (institution); military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | Serbian Renaissance Movement (also called “Serbian Renewal Party”) |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; party activists |
| Primary Membership: | nationalist |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Belgrade, Gospic |
| Force Strength: | [1000, 80000] |
| Target(s): | ethnic group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; intimidation of ethnic/religious groups |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Croats (Yugoslavia) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Serbs (Yugoslavia) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | Croats (Yugoslavia) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | given |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The Serbian Guard was also involved in the war in the Gospic region in Croatia. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the Serbian Guard was to defend Serbian interests and fight for the protection and unity of the Serbian people. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The Serbian Guard said that it was fighting for the protection of the Serbian people. We found no reports of them committing crimes against civilians. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: | The Serbian Guard had around 80,000 volunteers. News sources report around 250-1,000 members actively fighting. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Serbian Guard members were trained, but it is not clear by whom. The Serbian Guard received weapons from the Yugoslav Peoples’ Army (JNA). |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The Serbian Renaissance Movement organised the Serbian Guard. Reports say that though the movement had patronized the Guard, they had never done anything for the fighters. The Serbian Guard was recognised by the military authorities as a legal military formation. On 15 Dec. 1991, it was put under JNA command, giving Serbian Guard members the same status as that of JNA members. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.