Yugoslavia: Whether there is a mass mobilization of reservists for military duty (February 1999 - April 1999)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | YUG31737.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Yugoslavia: Whether there is a mass mobilization of reservists for military duty (February 1999 - April 1999), 1 April 1999, YUG31737.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aac277.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
An 18 February 1999 report by the independent Montenegrin news agency Montena-fax in Podgorica states:
Yugoslav Army reservists in the Montenegrin capital received mobilization summons today, Montena-fax learned from persons who received call-up papers. According to unofficial reports, this mostly applies to members of air defence units, but it is not possible to confirm whether this is a general mobilization or a call-up exclusively linked to the announced NATO air strikes, which could ensue if the Serbian and Albanian sides in Rambouillet failed to accept the agreement on offer.
A 15 March 1999 AFP article states:
The general staff of the Yugoslav army said Monday it would extend the military service of conscripts who have recently left the military by 30 days in view of threatened NATO intervention. The top brass, cited by the official Tanjug agency, said the measure also applied to reserve troops.
A 5 April 1999 New York Times article states:
No general mobilization has been declared, but reserve units are being called up as specialities are required. Men who served in radio and communications units, for instance, are being ordered to report for duty, some Serbs say.
A 6 March 1999 Economist article states that "Serb villagers in the south have been donning old uniforms of the Tito era; reservists of all ages are being called up across Yugoslavia (which consists of little Montenegro and Serbia)."
No additional information on whether there is a mass mobilization of reservists for military duty in Yugoslavia could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 15 March 1999. "Serbia Prolongs Conscripts' Military Service by 30 Days." (NEXIS)
The Economist [London]. 6 March 1999. "Bluff, Intrigue, War-or Peace." (NEXIS)
Montena-Fax News Agency [Podgorica, in Serbo-Croat]. 18 February 1999. "Yugoslav Army Calls Up Montenegrin Reservists." (BBC Summary 20 Feb. 1999/NEXIS)
The New York Times. 5 April 1999. Late Edition-Final. Steven Erlanger. "Crisis in the Balkans: The Draft Dodgers; Serb Conscripts Drift into Hiding." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB databases, Internet, NEXIS/LEXIS, WNC.
Unsuccessful attempts to contact oral sources.
