Brutal conflict: 'an affront to the world's conscience.' (Bosnia-Herzegovina)

Tragedy in the former Yugoslavia continued to "drain the attention, resources, and emotion of the international community", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali reported on 10 September.

The "most visible and successful contribution" of the world community in that region was in the humanitarian sphere, the Secretary-General stated. Unfortunately, conditions for assistance efforts had "steadily deteriorated". Relief operations were "obstructed, sabotaged or diverted for military purposes". The personnel of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other organizations were "increasingly targeted deliberately", he lamented.

Peace remained elusive, fighting was widespread, and new outbursts had taken place in central and southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Secretary-General stated (A/48/1).

Strenuous efforts by the UN, the European Community and the Co-Chairmen of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia - undertaken during July, August and September 1993 - failed to bring about a political settlement.

Hopes for an overall agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina did not materialize, as the Bosnian Assembly on 29 September rejected a new peace package, although the choice, according to the Co-Chairmen (S/26395), was "between a negotiated peace and the continuation of war".

The ongoing brutal conflict was accompanied by massive and systematic violations of human rights, the Secretary-General observed. The "daily horrors" inflicted on suffering civilians constituted an "affront to the world's conscience".

From 1 July through 30 September, some 257 violations of the ban on military flights in the airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina, imposed under Security Council resolution 816 (1993), were reported - 132 more than in April, May and June. That brought to 881 the total number of apparent violations since monitoring began in November 1992 under Council resolution 781 (1992).

In Croatia, the situation remained tense, the Secretary-General reported. Demilitarization of the UN Protected Areas (UNPAs) had not taken place due to local Serb resistance. Croatia's frustration with the lack of progress in recovering its sovereign territory had led to incursions against Serbs, setting back the peace process even further.

Peace prospects for Bosnia and Herzegovina and a possible role for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in support of UNPROFOR were discussed on 1 September in Geneva by Mr. Boutros-Ghali and Manfred Woerner, NATO's Secretary-General.

The creation of a permanent NATO-UNPROFOR joint staff to implement a peace plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina was considered by UNPROFOR Commander General Jean Cot and Admiral Mike Boorda, NATO Allied Forces South Commander, in Zagreb on 28 September.

Also, the General Assembly on 15 and 17 September selected 11 judges to serve on the International Tribunal established under Council resolution 827 (1993) to prosecute persons responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1 January 1991. The Council, in its resolution 857 (1993), had provided a list of candidates.

Between 1 July and 4 October, the Security Council met, either formally or for consultations, on 11 occasions to discuss the former Yugoslavia, adopting 6 resolutions and issuing 5 statements.

In adopting resolution 871 (1993) on 4 October, the Council extended the mandate of UNPROFOR for another six months, until 31 March 1094.

Faces of sorrow

Of more than 24,000 UNPROFOR soldiers and 3,000 civilians, 54 had been killed and 585 wounded, the Secretary-General said on 21 September, at the opening at UN Headquarters of a photo exhibition with the theme "Faces of Sorrow".

The UN provided the "only tangible sign of hope", he stressed, assisting 3.6 million refugees and displaced persons, feeding 2.3 million people, supplying desperately-needed help for thousands of sick and wounded, and delivering more than 145,000 tons of food and medicine. And the cost to the UN had already exceeded $2.5 billion, he added.

But international support for humanitarian operations was dwindling and the sums actually received fell "far short of requirements", the Secretary-General stated in his annual report. The UN role in the former Yugoslavia was "under serious challenge", he said.

If the present "downward spiral" continued, the Security Council might not be able to achieve its political objectives, he warned. The ultimate consequences would be "further large population displacements", with serious destabilizing effects on neighbouring countries and the whole region, amounting to a "humanitarian catastrophe".

Resolution 859:

Settlement in Bosnia urged

The grave situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remained a "threat to international peace and security", the Security Council stated on 24 August.

In unanimously adopting revolution 859 (1993), it urged the parties to conclude "as soon as possible a just and comprehensive political settlement freely agreed by all of them". Essential in that regard was an "immediate cease-fire and cessation of hostilities throughout the Republic".

The Council also demanded an "unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance" and full respect "by all parties at all times" for the safety and operational effectiveness of UNPROFOR and UNHCR personnel.

The Council affirmed the continuing relevance of: Bosnia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence; the fact that neither a change in the State's name nor changes in its internal organization would affect Bosnia's continued membership in the UN; principles adopted by the international Conference on the Former Yugoslavia (26-27 August 1992, London); recognition and respect for the right of all displaced persons to "return to their homes in safety and honour"; and the maintenance of Sarajevo, Bosnia's capital, as a "united city and a multicultural, multi-ethnic and pluri-religious centre".

A military offensive by the Bosnian Serbs on Mount Igman, aimed at further isolating Sarajevo and "escalating the recent unprecedented and unacceptable pressures" on Bosnia's Government and people before the Geneva talks, was condemned by the Security Council on 22 July.

In a statement (S/26134) by its President, Sir David Hannay of the, United Kingdom, the Council demanded an "immediate end" to all attacks on Sarajevo, as well as all violations of international humanitarian law. It reaffirmed the unacceptability of ethnic cleansing, the forceful acquisition of territory or any dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

An end to the disruption of public utilities by the Bosnian Serbs and to the "blocking of, and interference with, the delivery of humanitarian relief" by the Bosnian Serb and the Bosnian Croat parties was also demanded. The Council stressed that it would keep all options open.

Seeking solution

A constitutional agreement for a Union of Republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina - providing that the territory of the Muslim-majority Republic would be no less than 30 per cent of the Union's entire territory, and that each constituent republic would determine its own name - was reached by the three Bosnian sides on 30 July in Geneva.

According to the co-Chairmen's 5 August report (S/26260), the parties also agreed on: an authority to "ensure access in sensitive areas of the country after UNPROFOR withdraws", as foreseen under the Vance-Owen peace plan; access to the sea for the Muslim-majority Republic; military aspects of implementing a peaceful settlement; and territorial arrangements.

Deliberations to settle the remaining issues continued throughout August. As a result, arrangements to place Sarajevo and Mostar under the administration of the UN and the European Community respectively for two years were worked out, the Co-Chairmen reported (S/26337) on 20 August.

Detailed agreements had also been reached on some other territorial issues, and all of the annexes to the constitutional agreement, as well as a preliminary bilateral treaty between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia on access to two Adriatic ports, had been finalized, they stated.

When talks in Geneva resumed on 31 August, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic informed the Co-Chairmen that he was authorized to sign the peace agreement, provided the Muslim-majority Republic was given an additional 4 per cent of Bosnia's territory. Both Radovan Karadzic and Mate Boban - leaders of Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats respectively - stated that they could sign the accord only as it was.

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