Three separate operations created on 31 March: Croatian stand a factor in decision.

Three separate but interlocked peace-keeping operations--for Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia--with mandates extending until 30 November 1995 were set up by the Security Council on 31 March to replace the three-year-old UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia. In unanimously adopting resolutions 981 (1995) 982 (1995) and 983 (1995), the Council respectively established the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO), extended the mandate of UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and decided that UNPROFOR within the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should now "be known as the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP)".

The peace-keeping units--each having its own civilian Chief of Mission and military commander--were to assume almost all of the former UNPROFOR functions, with substantial alteration of the mandate in Croatia, where UNCRO, according to the Secretary-General (S/1995/222), would be "significantly smaller than the present UNPROFOR strength". The overall command and control, however, would still be exercised by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and a Theatre Force Commander, headquartered in Zagreb.

Originally established in Croatia by Council resolution 743 of 21 February 1992, UNPROFOR had become increasingly involved in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the situation there worsened. The Force presence in the FYROM was authorized under Council resolution 795 of 11 December 1992, to prevent "possible developments which could undermine confidence and stability" in that country.

Nearly 40,000 peace keepers

As of 20 March, the UNPROFOR military component totalled 38,599 personnel, including 684 UN military advisers, from 39 countries. In the civil affairs component, there were 803 civilian police and 2,017 other international personnel, in addition to 2,615 local staff.

On 1 March, Lieutenant-General Bernard Janvier succeeded Lt.-Gen. Bertrand Guillaume de Sauville de la Presle as UNPROFOR Force Commander, and on 24 January, Lt.-Gen. Rupert Smith had replaced Lt.-Gen. Sir Michael Rose as UNPROFOR Force Commander in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From 3 January through 31 March, some 840 violations of the ban on military flights, imposed under Council resolution 816 (1993), were reported--71 more than in the previous three months, bringing to 4,274 the total number of apparent violations since monitoring began in November 1992 under resolution 781.

In January, February and March, the Council met either formally or for consultations on six occasions to consider the situation in the former Yugoslavia, adopting four resolutions and issuing four statements.

Resolution 981: UNCRO created

In setting up UNCRO, the Security Council on 31 March, by resolution 981 (1995), recognized/hat major provisions of the UN peace-keeping plan for Croatia--particularly those relating to the demilitarization of the areas controlled by the local Serbs, the return of all refugees and displaced persons, and the establishment of local police forces--remained to be implemented.

The Council decided that UNCRO would, among other things, support and facilitate the implementation of the 29 March 1994 cease-fire agreement and the 2 December 1994 economic agreement between the Government of Croatia and the local Serb authorities, and of all relevant Council resolutions.

The new operation would also: assist in controlling, by monitoring and reporting, the crossing of military personnel, equipment, supplies and weapons, over Croatia's borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)--FRY: facilitate delivery of international humanitarian assistance to Bosnia through the territory of Croatia; and monitor the demilitarization of the Prevlaka peninsula on the Adriatic coast.

The Council also decided that UNCRO would be an "interim arrangement to create the conditions that will facilitate a negotiated settlement" consistent with Croatia's territorial integrity and guaranteeing the "security and rights of all communities living in a particular area of the Republic of Croatia, irrespective of whether they constitute in this area a majority or minority".

As the Council demanded that all parties and others concerned "refrain from any acts of intimidation or violence against UNCRO", it allowed UN Member States to take "all necessary measures to extend close air support" to the territory of Croatia in defence of UNCRO personnel.

The Croatian Government and the local Serbs were called upon to refrain from the threat or use of force and "reaffirm their commitment to a peaceful resolution of their differences".

Resolutions 982, 983: UNPROFOR, UNPREDEP

In extending the UNPROFOR mandate in Bosnia and Herzegovina until 30 November, the Security Council, by resolution 982 (1995) of 31 March, authorized the Secretary-General to redeploy before 30 June 1995 all UNPROFOR personnel and assets from Croatia, with the exception of those whose continued presence was required for UNCRO.

UNPROFOR was to continue to perform fully the functions envisaged in the implementation of the cease-fire and economic agreements between the Croatian Government and the Croatian Serbs, as well as all relevant Council resolutions, and facilitate the delivery of international humanitarian aid to Bosnia through Croatia's territory "until the effective deployment of UNCRO or 30 June 1995, whichever is sooner".

UNPROFOR would retain its existing support structures in Croatia. including the operation of its headquarters, the Council ruled.

By resolution 983 (1995), which renamed the UNPROFOR unit in FYROM as UNPREDEP, the Council urged the new operation to continue UNPROFOR's current cooperation with the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Croatia's stand: No renewal

The Council's action to split UNPROFOR into separate operations came after Croatia's decision in January not to accept a further renewal of the Force's mandate in its territory beyond 31 March.

"While I am painfully aware of the frustration of the Croatian people that a final political settlement has eluded us, I should like to recall that the unremitting efforts of the international community have resulted in visible progress, particularly in the opening of the Zagreb-Belgrade highway", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali stated on 12 January.

The UN had played a decisive role in "bringing a halt to the brutal war" on Croatian soil three years ago and "helped prevent a resumption of the fighting since", he added. He was "gravely concerned about the risk of renewed hostilities" should UN peace-keepers be withdrawn from Croatia.

In a report (S/1995/38) on 14 January, he said: "In view of the weapons that have accumulated in the areas, despite the arms embargo, that conflict would be even more destructive than the one which raged in 1991-1992."

Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, in informing the Secretary-General on 12 January of the decision of his country's Parliament, stated that the "present character of the UNPROFOR mission does not provide conditions necessary for establishing lasting peace and order" in his country.

The Security Council on 17 January, in declaring its concern particularly over the wider implications of Croatia's stand on the mandate of UNPROFOR, expressed its hope that further discussions would lead to a re-examination of that position. In a presidential statement by Emilio J. Cardenas of Argentina, the Council called upon all parties and ethers concerned to "avoid any action or statement which might lead to an increase in tension".

In a 7 February statement, Council President Legwaila J. Legwaila of Botswana said the Government of Croatia and the local Serb authorities in the UN Protected Areas (UNPAs) were asked to "enter urgently and without preconditions" into negotiations on a political settlement which ensured full respect for Croatia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and guaranteed the security and rights of all communities.

The Council also stated that continued and effective presence of UNPROFOR in Croatia was of "vital importance for regional peace and security".

On 12 March, President Tudjman announced that Croatia would seek "a new Security Council mandate for an international presence" in its territory to control its borders with the FRY (Serbia and Montenegro) and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and facilitate implementation of the cease-fire and economic agreements.

In welcoming that decision, the Secretary-General said that the escalation of military activity and tension over the past two months following Croatia's refusal to keep UNPROFOR beyond 31 Marsh had brought the parties to the "brink of a major war".

Negotiations postponed

The "climate of uncertainty" created by the 12 January Croatian declaration had been compounded by decisions of the self-proclaimed Serb Assembly in Knin to postpone further negotiations and implementation of the economic agreement, and "declare a state of `immediate war alert', which is the last step preceding full mobilization", the Secretary-General said in a comprehensive report (S/1995/222) of 22 March.

In his view, the principal underlying cause for the crisis had been the "lingering lack of trust and confidence between the parties and the resultant political stalemate for the past three years", leading to "fears on the Croatian side that a peaceful political settlement is unattainable and providing encouragement to hard-liners on the Krajina Serb side to think that independence or union in a `Greater Serbia' are realistic options".

In those circumstances,the Secretary-General continued, the total withdrawal of all UN peace-keeping forces would result immediately in a "grave threat to peace and security extending beyond the borders of Croatia", probably leading to a "major renewed conflict", with the participation of Bosnian Serbs and support from forces belonging to the FRY.

The maintenance of a reduced force in Croatia under a new mandate thus seemed the "only way to reduce the risks of a renewed major war", Mr. Boutros-Ghali stated.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNPROFOR's performance was characterized by a "mixture of achievements and setbacks", the Secretary-General went on.

The Force had been successful in areas where the parties--the Bosnian Government and the Bosnian Serbs--had been willing to demonstrate "good faith in implementing agreements" and where the international community had provided a "clear political context within which the mission can operate", he said.

Bihac fighting continues

With the exception of Bihac where fighting continued, the 23 December 1994 cease-fire had been respected, yielding "tangible benefits for the citizens" of Bosnia, Mr. Boutros-Ghali stated. Unfortunately, some provisions of the 31 December Agreement on the cessation of hostilities had not been implemented due to the "continued lack of trust" between the parties and their "unwillingness to break out of a vicious circle of linkages".

In the absence of a real will by the parties to cooperate, UNPROFOR had been "unable to resolve outstanding issues among them", the Secretary-General lamented. As a result, more than ever before, they were faced with the "probability of renewed hostilities in the near future". There was an "overwhelming need for political progress" if further fighting in Bosnia was to be avoided, he stressed.

Deep concern at the continued fighting around Bihac had been expressed by the Security Council on 17 February, as it urged all involved to "make a concerted effort to consolidate what has been achieved so far to avoid the risk of a renewed outbreak of hostilities".

In a presidential statement, the Council also condemned the "recent obstruction of humanitarian convoys" destined for the Bihac area by the Croatian Serbs and Muslim separatist forces of Fikret Abdic. It welcomed the fact that convoys were "now getting through".

In condemning continued violations of Croatia's international borders, the Council demanded that "all forces in the Bihac area cease fighting immediately and cooperate fully with UNPROFOR in achieving an effective cease-fire".

The Secretary-General had reported on 22 March that UNPROFOR had made a "modest but important contribution to helping the authorities and various ethnic groups to maintain peace and stability and build a workable future". Both the Government of FYROM and ethnic Albanian leaders had expressed "appreciation to UNPROFOR for what they have termed its clear, objective, appropriate and helpful actions", he said.

However, FYROM continued to "labour under the combined constraints" of the economic blockade imposed by Greece and the economic sanctions against the FRY, the refusal of the FRY to recognize its borders, and the inter-and intra-ethnic tensions, "all of which continue to undermine its stability and pose a threat to its fragile democracy", he noted.

The Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Cyrus Vance, had told the press on 9 February that there was "no indication of any real danger of fighting" in the FYROM, in contrast to other parts of the former Yugoslavia, where the "combination of ethnic, religious and political differences created a series of issues and problems that were incredibly tough to resolve". He added he had "never seen a more complex and difficult situation".

Resolution 970: Further suspension

A suspension of some of the economic sanctions against the FRY (Serbia and Montenegro) for a further period of 100 days was endorsed by the Security Council on 12 January. The suspension of sanctions, originally enacted under resolution 943 of 23 September 1994, applied to: restrictions on air travel: impoundment of vessels, vehicles and aircraft; maritime traffic; sporting events; and cultural exchanges.

On 30 May 1992 under resolution 757, the Council had imposed wide-ranging sanctions against FRY, including an air embargo. On 17 April 1993, it strengthened them, under resolution 820, to prevent diversion of commodities and products "said to be destined for other places", and to freeze funds held in other States.

In adopting resolution 970 (1995) by 14 votes to none, with 1 abstention (Russian Federation), the Council also called upon all States and others concerned to "respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and international borders of all States in the region".

The Secretary-General was asked to report every 30 days on whether the FRY authorities were "effectively implementing their decision" to close the international border with Bosnia and Herzegovina "with respect to all goods except foodstuffs, medical supplies and clothing for essential humanitarian needs". Any noncompliance by the FRY would terminate the suspension of sanctions, "unless the Security Council decides to the contrary", the resolution stated.

Compliance certified

The FRY was "continuing to meet its commitment" to close the land border with the areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Bosnian Serb control, Lord David Owen and Thorvald Stoltenberg, Co-Chairmen of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia (ICFY), reported on 30 March (S/1995/255).

The ICFY Mission, deployed since 14 September 1994, had 163 personnel on duty. The number of observers would continue to fall "until the minimal threshold of 150 is reached or until such time as the current financial constraints are eased", they stated.

By the Mission's own calculations, an observer complement below 150 might not be able to provide "sufficiently credible information" to certify the FRY compliance, the report said.

Mission Coordinator Tauno Nieminen of Finland found that after he had signed two memoranda of understanding with FRY Customs--on the control of buses and on supplies of humanitarian aid through the Yugoslav Red Cross--the improvements were "significant and substantial", and that a "very tight level of control" had been achieved.

FRY compliance had also been certified by the Co-Chairmen on 1 March and 2 February as they continued to report to the Council every 30 days on border closure measures, pursuant to resolution 943 (1994).

Human rights report

There had been an "escalation in the military targeting of civilians" by Bosnian Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulting in "daily loss of life and injury", Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur Tadeusz Mazowiecki reported (A/50/69-S/1995/79) on 26 January.

Among other problems were: the intransigence of the Bosnian Croat local authorities in the Mostar region, "hampering the re-establishment of civil society" within the spirit and terms of the Bosniac-Croat Federation; and "severe difficulties" in delivering humanitarian aid caused by the Bosnian Serbs, as well as by Bosnian Croat local authorities.

In expressing "great concern" over the military activities in the Bosnian enclave of Bihac of the "Republic of Serb Krajina" forces--which had resorted to "inhumane practices and indiscriminate methods of warfare" and acted "in contravention of some of the most basic provisions of international humanitarian law"--the Special Rapporteur called upon the local authorities in Croatia to "ensure the protection of the most vulnerable members of their communities".

Also, "expressions of hatred must be eliminated from the media vocabulary", Mr. Mazowiecki said in a 27 January special report on the media (A/50/71-S/1995/80). "Without the elimination of incitements to hatred, a viable solution to the crisis in the former Yugoslavia will be impossible to achieve", he stressed.

The media had been "among the most important tools in propagating the military conflict in the region", themselves instigating or inspiring many violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. the report said.

Longest airlift in history

On 29 March, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) humanitarian airlift to Sarajevo--the longest such operation in aviation history, surpassing the 1948-1949 Berlin airlift on 8 October 1993-marked its one-thousandth day.

Since 3 July 1992, more than 151,000 metric tons of life-saving food, medical supplies and other aid had been delivered by UNHCR into the besieged Bosnian capital, with a total of 12,195 sorties flown as of 28 March from some 20 countries and five organizations, the UNHCR reported. During some worst months of the war, the airlift had supplied more than 95 per cent of the humanitarian assistance to the city, UNHCR said.

"Despite the success of this air bridge in keeping people alive, there is nothing the UNHCR and the residents of Sarajevo would like better than to see the Sarajevo airlift to come to a final, peaceful end". High Commissioner Sadako Ogata stated. "The fact that this operation has had to continue for 1,000 days is nothing to celebrate", she stressed.

UN humanitarian assistance to Sarajevo and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina had "saved thousands of lives", Secretary-General Boutras-Ghali announced on 27 January.

In 1994 alone, some 122,000 metric tons of food had been delivered to Sarajevo by road and air "under very adverse circumstances" to help 440,000 displaced and afflicted persons.

In Bihac, although a UNHCR's 10-truck convoy had finally delivered 96 metric tons of food and medicine to the embattled Bosnian enclave, it remained "extremely concerned" about security and the lack of food in the area, the UNHCR said on 16 February. The shortage of food was "affecting the entire population of some 200,000 people".

On 1 February, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 724 (1991) to monitor the implementation of the arms embargo against the former Yugoslavia decided that applications concerning legitimate humanitarian assistance from international humanitarian agencies--namely, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN Children's Fund, UNHCR, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization--would be processed on a top priority basis.