That strategy has been used throughout the decades after WW2, including in various parts of Croatia to help instigate secession. Maybe it has to do something with the mentality of the region? There is a fantastic movie [1] by Emir Kusturica that absolutely nails the way of thinking, where a protagonist lives in a bunker believing the war never ended.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_(1995_film)