Chronicle of events

Peacekeeping chronicle of events 31 August ment and LJNITA to 'adopt without further South African Defence Minister Joe Modise delay a comprehensive and workable pro- August-September 1995 has announced that the country is gramme for the formation of the new armed considering allowing the UN to establish a forces, and accelerate the exchange of logistics base at a former military base at prisoners and the repatriation of mercenaries A. General Pietersburg. (South Africa Press Agency, 311 in order to reinforce freedom of movement August; IPN) of people throughout the country'. The 6 August Council also requested that the parties 11 September provide UNAVEM III with the necessary Arab League -General Esmat In the Secretary General's annual report Mr. Abdel Meguid has announced that the Arab information and freedom of movement, Boutros-Ghali expressed concern for the including total access to all military League plans to establish a joint peace- security of UN peacekeepers. 'When lightly keeping force under a proposed 'pact of facilities, to enable it to effectively armed peacekeepers or unarmed aid implement its mandate. (IPN) honour for security and cooperation' to workers on a humanitarian mission are prevent conflicts between Member States. threatened, taken hostage or even killed, the 8 August Meguid said that the proposed pact would world must act to prevent such intolerable A unit of I I I Portuguese peacekeepers are be submitted to the next Arab League behaviour. The credibility of all UN peace to leave for Angola later this month to Foreign Ministers' meeting in Cairo on operations is at stake; to preserve it, provide logistical support for LJNAVEM III. September 20. (Agence France-Presse personnel must be protected as they carry The unit will replace a British battalion. International News, 6 August; IPN) out the duties the international community Approximately 40 Portuguese soldiers are 8 August has sent them to accomplish.' (NYT, 12 already stationed in Angola to help Soldiers from 14 former Soviet bloc September) guarantee communications for UNAVEM III. (Reuter News Reports, 8 August; IPN) countries joined British, Canadian and US 14 September forces for the first NATO-sponsored peace- The UN has run out of money to pay its 11 August keeping exercise in North America. The regular operating expenses and is being The leader of the Angolan resistance exercise at Fort Polk in Louisiana, entitled forced to borrow from funds, movement UNITA, Jonas Savimbi, has 'Cooperative Nugget '95'. British Field which are also strained, a US accounting accepted an offer by president Jose Eduardo Marshall Sir Richard Vincent said that the expert in charge of financial management Dos Santos, to become vice president. aim of the exercise was to foster coopera- told a General Assembly committee. (IHT, (NRC, I I August) tion and understanding among multinational 14 September) units, as well as to learn more effective 22 August methods of conducting humanitarian and 27 September The Brazilian Embassy in Luanda has peacekeeping tasks. (Reuter News Report, 8 Foreign Ministers Canada, Denmark and announced that the first unit of a Brazilian August; IPN) The Netherlands, as well as five other infantry battalion is expected to arrive in foreign ministers of nations contribute Angola on August 23. The Brazilian 14 August personnel to peacekeeping operations, officers and soldiers will be responsible for Romania has begun a Partnership for Peace Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nicaragua preparations for the arrival of the rest of the (PfP) naval exercise on the Danube to and Ukraine, a representative from Senegal contingent which will be deployed at demonstrate its capacity to protect humani- and UN Undersecretary-General for peace- Lwena, in the east of the country, and at tarian aid convoys in 'hostile waters'. keeping, Kofi Annan, met to diseuss a Huambo, in central Angola. A Brazilian NATO and PfP observers from France, Canadian idea to create a permanent UN naval vessel bringing heavy equipment to Germany, US, Hungary, Slovakia and peacekeeping force and similar ideas from Luanda is expected on September 30. Ukraine watched the exercise. The exercise, Denmark and the Netherlands. All three Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Zambia and code-named 'Danube '95', runs until envision a force to bridge the gap of many Zimbabwe are supplying infantry battalions August 16 and is the first of its kind staged months between Security Council resolu- for the operation, while Argentina, Britain, by an East European country. (Reuter News tions to dipatch a force and actual deploy- Portugal and Romania will supply support Report, 14 August; IPN) ment. (IHT, 30 September) units and logistical back-up. (Agence 17 August France-Presse, 22 August; IPN) The Japanese Defence Agency has decided B. Operations 28 September to create a peacekeeping office to collect On the initiative of the UNDP a conference data on UN peacekeeping activities and has been held in Brussels on Angola. About conduct language and other training for Angola / UNAVEM III 300 representatives of donor countries, prospective Japanese peacekeepers. Accor- Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos ding to the daily Yomiuri Shimbun the and Jonas Savimbi were present to talk peacekeeping office with a staff of around 1 August about plans to rebuild the country. Around 70 is intended to prevent the Self-Defence Almost 800 Indian UN peacekeepers have I billion Dollar will be donated. (SZ, 28 Force (SDF) from establishing an indepen- taken up positions in the northern Angolan September) dent peacekeeping force. The office will be province of Uije to help supervise the a part of the next defence program provisions of the Lusaka peace agreement. beginning in April 1996, although its actual Battalion headquarters will be established at Cyprus / UNFICYP operations will not actually begin until Negage, a former military airport now FY'97 or thereafter. (Kyodo News Service, controlled by UNITA. (Agence France- 17 August; IPN) Presse International News, 1 August; IPN) 7 August The Turkish Cypriot government has 30 August 7 August criticised the UN for failing to prevent a The Japanese Defence Agency has decided The Security Council unanimously voted in violent protest by Greek Cypriot nationalists to approve cooperation between the SDF a resolution to extend the mandate of along the LJN-controlled buffer zone. and the US military in UN peacekeeping UNAVEM III until February 8, 1996, and Hundreds of protesters clashed with Greek operations based on a proposed bilateral urged UNITA and the Angolan government Cypriot and Turkish police officers deman- treaty (Acquisition and Across-Servicing to 'adhere strictly to the revised timetable ding an end to the 21-year-old division of Agreement) on providing logistical support. on the implementation of the Lusaka the island. (Reuter News Reports, 7 August; (Kyodo News Service, 30 August; IPN) Protocol, particularly in the establishment of IPN) ' quartering areas for troops, complete troop disengagement and the conduct of demi- ning'. The Council called upon the govern- Former / region that they have moved to retake. because of shelling Serb civilians in the NATO has threatened Bosnian Serbs with Croatian offensive against the Krajina UNPROFOR/UNCRO// widespread air strikes if they attack the enclave. (TL, 8 August) remaining UN designated 'safe-areas' in UNPREDEP Bosnia Gorazde, Bihac, Tuzla and 8 August Sarajevo. (1HT, 5 August) Croatia said that diehard rebel Serbs in Krajina had begun surrendering after the 1 August The Croatian government launched its long- UN brokered a pact to allow tens of The US House of Representatives voted by threatened attack ('') on thousands of refugees trapped by fighting to 298 to 128 to abandon American partici- rebel Serbs in the Krajina region. By enter Bosnia-Herzegovina. pation in the UN arms embargo against nightfall a Danish and two Polish peace- Bosnia. The bill, that was identical to a keepers were killed and 98 peacekeepers In a letter to Dutch parliament, Dutch measure approved last week by the Senate, captured by Croatian forces. The Croats Minister of Defense, Joris Voorhoeve, made must be presented to President Bill Clinton have also attacked civilian populations, with it clear that the Netherlands have set a for his signature or veto. (IHT, 2 August) heavy artillery bombardment. (1HT, 5 surgical team at the disposal of the UN August) peace forces in Northern-Bosnia. The Mass mobilisation in Croatia and in the military team is supposed to assist in taking Serb Krajina territory has produced a line- Seven Danish peacekeepers were reported medical care for Muslim refugees in Tuzla. up of forces which appear to herald a full- to have been used by the Croatian army as (TL, 9 August; NRC, 8 August) scale confrontation. Croatia's rebel Serbs 'human shields.' (TL, 7 August) launched airstrikes against Croats attemp- NATO planes fired two HARM anti-radar 9 August ting to drive them out of their Krajina missiles at Serb radar missile sites at Knin, President Tudjman said that he would not stronghold with three strafing raids against Pentagon officials in Washington said. The attend negotiations in with Mr ground troops in the border village of NATO planes responded to a UN request Milosevic unless President lzetbegovic of Strmica. UN Secretary-General Boutros- for a show of force over Knin after UN Bosnia was included. (TL, 10 August) Ghali urgently appealed to the parties to the peacekeepers there were threatened, a America and Germany are ready to agree to conflict to 'stop and reflect about the choice NATO source said. (WP, 5 August) a further easing of sanctions against Serbia which now faces them.' Yasushi Akashi, the in exchange for Belgrade's recognition of UN special envoy, said that the Croats, 5 August Bosnia-Herzegovina, Western diplomats triumphant after their recent victories in Croatian troops have captured Knin, said. (TL, 10 August) Bosnia and Croatia were reluctant to heed 'capital' of the breakaway Croatian Serbs. for international warnings that their advance Croatian troops also captured the town of The Clinton administration is hoping to risked a wider war. (1PN; TL, 2 August) Benkovac, which had been used to shell the persuade the Western allies to support a coast. In Washington, President Clinton new carve-up of Bosnia that would 2 August reportcdly welcomed the Croatian advance, technically preserve the country's existence French soldiers of the UN peacekeeping saying it could be helpful in resolving the but would in effect divide it between force in Sarajevo have concluded that until Bosnian conflict by persuading the Bosnian Croatia and Serbia, according to American mid-June, some of the sniper fire directed at Serbs to make a deal. (ST, 6 August) officials and Western diplomats. The plan civilians in this besieged city came from awards 51 percent of Bosnia to the Muslim- government soldiers deliberately shooting at 6 August Croat federation and 49 percent to the their own people. A senior French officer Tens of thousands of Serb civilians and Bosnian Serbs. (WP, 10 August) said that the results of the investigation were soldiers fleeing an onrushing Croatian army not officially reported to upper-level UN poured into neighboring Bosnia in what 10 August officials in Sarajevo. (1HT, 2 August) could be the largest single forced exodus of The Council unanimously demanded in a NATO is to set up special 'zones of action' people from their homes in four years of resolution that the 'Government of Croatia around the four remaining UN 'safe areas', war in the former Yugoslavia. Foreign cease immediately all military actions, fully intended to guarantee their protection from Minister Mate Granic of Croatia told peace respect the rights of the local Serb imminent or threatened assault. (TL, 2 negotiators and officials from the European populations, allow access to that population August) Union that the military campaign should be by humanitarian organisations and create completed by August 7 and that UN peace- conditions conducive to the return of those 3 August keepers and human-right monitors would be persons who have left their homes'. The The Clinton administration has given allowed into captured territory within 24 Council called upon the Croatian govern- Croatia tacit approval to attack Croatian- hours. Croatia and the UN agreed on a new ment to bring to justice those responsible Serbs, according to officials. (IHT, 4 Au- mandate that will turn the peacekeeping for the deaths of three members of IJNCRO gust) force in the Krajina into human-rights and urged all the parties to respect the status observers and aid-workers. In an accord of UN personnel and refrain from attacks In a turnaround, the Krajina Serb leader against them. (IPN) Milan Babic said that he was prepared to signed by UN special envoy, Yasushi talk to Zagreb about restoring Croatia's Akashi, and Croatian presidential aide, The Council demanded in a resolution that control over serb-held territory in the Hrvoje Saranic, Zagreb also agreed to allow the Bosnian Serbs give international republic. Bosnian Serbs shelled the Croatian all Serbs who want to leave the republic to humanitarian agencies immediate access to town of Dubrovnik. (TL, 4 August) do so, with the exception of those consi- persons displaced from and dered war criminals. (IHT, 7 August) British armoured Warriors, painted white Zepa. It also called upon the Bosnian Serbs for the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia- 7 August to allow the ICRC to visit and register Herzegovina, are reverting to the normal President Yeltsin invited Presidents persons detained against their will camouflage colours for their role with the Milosevic of Serbia and Tudjman of Croatia including any members of the BiH, and to attend peace negotiations in Russia. urged the Bosnian Serbs to respect fully the Rapid Reaction Force. (TL, 4 August) rights of all such persons and ensure their 4 August Carl Bildt, the European Union mediator, safety and early release. (IPN) The Norwegian UN mediator Thorvald reacted sharply to Croatian government decision to declare him 'persona non grata', UN peacekeepers will begin withdrawing Stoltenberg travelled to Belgrade in a last from parts of Croatia in the next few days attempt to prevent total war between Croatia saying it showed Zagreb has 'chosen the after the Croatian Army's capture of the and the Croatian Serbs. (NRC, 4 August) path of war over the path of negotiations'. Mr Bildt was reacting to news that Croatia Krajina, Yasushi Akashi, the UN special NATO warned Croatia that Croatian troops had decided to have nothing more to do envoy to the former Yugoslavia, announ- could be bombed if they harmed UN with him after he suggested that President ced. LTN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali peacekeepers in the Serbian-held Krajina will recommend to the Security Council that Tudjman may be guilty of war crimes the current UN force of about 10,000 men