The siege in at its height yesterday morning with (above) the attacking , and (below) an attacker lies dead Photographs: David Rose

Ethnic war threatens EC peace plan THHE Yugoslav army yesterday accused Slo- — — ;—— f f—'-1 eludes not only a two-sided dispute betweebetwee n • N I T 1 1 • 1 I 1 . 1 T-\ L H1MY1 \ IRT M^AAN IV, M M , D RTL « . . . venia of "deliberately breaking" the Brioni From Marcus Tanner in the governments of the two republics and peace accord and warned "the Slovene peo- the army, but a third protagonist in the ple will pay the price". of war in their short struggle with the fed- venia and the army high command in Bel- form of the local armed Serb minority. In a statement on behalf of the army high eral forces. But army spokesmen have re- grade suggests that the peace agreement Gun battles and a deadly ambush threat- command, Colonel Milan Gvero said Slove- fused to say how many soldiers deserted. reached at Brioni is already falling apart, ened to wreck the fragile ceasefire in Cro- nia was "waging a dirty, dishonest war" and The number is believed to be large. well before the EC delegation has even be- atia yesterday. Snipers killed a policeman accused the Slovene authorities of "consis- Jelko Kacin, the Slovene information gun its task of observing the cease-fire. The and wounded three colleagues in an am- tantly lying". "In defiance of the agree- minister, said the army, not , was delegation, which reportedly will comprise bush near the town of Zadar in western ment, they continue to lay minefields and breaking the Brioni agreement. Mr Kacin 30 to 50 military and civilian represen- . Sporadic shooting also broke out tank-traps in front of army barracks, and said the army launched an armed incursion tatives, is expected to arrive in during the night in eastern Croatia where take up favourable positions for battle," he in Slovene territory yesterday, breaking an within the next few days. rival Serbs and Croats live side by side near said. "Slovenia is trying by force to prove a agreement for all troops to withdraw to bar- Croatia and Slovenia have voted to ac- the border with the republic of . sovereignty to which it has no right." racks. He said a column of five armoured cept the Brioni declaration, clearing the Zlatko Kramaric, mayor of the region's Colonel Gvero also raised the possibility troop carriers crossed the Croat-Slovene way for the observers to start work. A group main city, Osijek, said shooting was heard of court-martial procedures against hun- border yesterday morning, and threatened of EC officials arrived in Zagreb earlier this around the towns of Tenje, Mirkovci Vin- dreds of Yugoslav soldiers, who deserted to open fire on the Slovene border police. week, with a view to arranging the observ- kovci and Borovo Selo. the army during the fighting. "Deserters The column later withdrew on to the Cro- ers' itinerary. The Croatian government has Alija Izetbegovic, President of Bosnia- and traitors will get what they deserve." atian side of the border after "discussions" called on the observers to include Croatia in Herzegovina, yesterday appealed for the The Slovene Territorial Defence Force with the Slovene police, he said. their field of activity, although the conflict EC observers also to include his central Yu- took 2,984 Yugoslav army men as prisoners The escalating war of words between Slo- there is much more complicated, and in- goslav republic in its activities.