Organized crime in Serbian politics during the Yugoslav wars

ABSTRACT

Looking behind the chaotic facade of the atrocious Yugoslav conflict, this article examines the nexus between the organized crime in Serbia and its security apparatus. Path dependency in the mismanagement of violence, ethnopolitical mobilization and abrupt socioeconomic transformation during international isolation contributed to blurring the distinction between the state institutions and the criminal elements in Serbia during the reign of Slobodan Milošević. By showcasing the rise and the fall of a paradigmatic representative, Željko Ražnatović Arkan, the article examines the roots, dynamics and effects of this failed attempt toward sponsoring state mafia.

KEYWORDS:

• Yugoslav wars
• Željko Ražnatović Arkan
• Slobodan Milošević
• Serbian mafia
• organized crime

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No. 7731836, The Multi-ethnic State and National Identities: the Serbian Experience in the 20th Century - SERBIE20.

Notes on contributors

Kosta Nikolić

Kosta Nikolić graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. (BA 1988, MPhil 1993, PhD 1999) Realms of his professional interest are: history of Communism in the interwar Yugoslavia, Serbian society in the Second World War, personality cult in socialist Yugoslavia, ethnic conflicts and dissolution of former Yugoslavia.

Vladimir Petrović

Vladimir Petrović graduated from contemporary history (Faculty of Belgrade: BA&MPhil; Central European University MA&PhD). He taught at CEU and Boston University. Petrović is exploring the intersection between history and law, and has published extensively on ethnic cleansing in the Balkans and attempts to undo its legacy.