Agreements on Bosnia signed: Croatia restores control over its territories. Peace remains highest priority. Situation still volatile.

• Position: Includes a related article on an interim accord between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia - Yugoslav Crisis

United Nations efforts in the former Yugoslavia continued in an environment characterized by "vicious cycles of cease-fire violations, human rights infringements, physical destruction and death", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali declared on 22 August

The Organization was carrying out a "multiplicity of mandated responsibilities" that spanned humanitarian, military and political tasks, he stated in his annual report (A/50/1) to the General Assembly.

The hallmarks of the crisis - unceasing conflicts, entrenched hostilities, violation of agreements and a "genuine lack of commitment and good faith" - gave the impression "either that not enough is being done to find a peaceful resolution or that fundamental questions and issues that divide the parties are insurmountable", Mr. Boutros-Ghali said.

For too long, he lamented, from the start of the Yugoslav military confrontation in 1991, "all efforts aimed at reaching a negotiated and peaceful solution to the conflicts and outstanding issues have been in vain". Nevertheless, the UN and its agencies were devoting the "highest priority to bringing peace to the region and alleviating the suffering brought about by the conflict", he stated.

Setbacks and

disappointments

Mr. Boutros-Ghali's assessment reflected setbacks and disappointments that the UN and the international community had experienced in attempts to end the four-year-old Yugoslav crisis - the largest and most violent armed confrontation in Europe since the Second World War. His comments also underscored the volatility of the situation on the ground, especially in view of the dramatic events of July, August and September 1995.

Most notable among them: the Bosnian Serbs' forced takeover of the Srebrenica and Zepa "safe areas" in July; a major offensive by Croatia against its predominantly Serb-populated areas (the so-called Krajina region) in the beginning of August, forcing some 200,000 Croatian Serbs to flee the country; shelling by the Bosnian Serbs of the Sarajevo market on 28 August; massive retaliatory air strikes by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) against the Bosnian Serbs' military targets; and the 8 September Geneva statement and agreements on principles to negotiate an end to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Geneva accords, particularly, were an "important milestone in the search for peace", the Foreign Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) - FRY - declared in a joint statement (A/50/419-S/1995/780). While not constituting an end to the tragedy in the Balkans, the principles contained many significant points that "govern the difficult negotiations to come", the Foreign Ministers stated.

The Joint Statement and Agreed Basic Principles were negotiated under the auspices of the Contact Group: France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.

On 14 September, the Bosnian Serb party signed the Framework for a Cessation of Hostilities within the Sarajevo Temporary Exclusion Zone.

In a follow-up to those accords, an agreement providing for free, fair and direct elections in Bosnia was reached by Bosnia, Croatia and the FRY on 26 September in New York.

Replace UNPROFOR?

"There may be credible prospects for a viable and lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina if all parties are at last ready to forgo the military option", the Secretary-General stated (S/1995/804) on 18 September. However, if the current peace initiative did not succeed and more enforcement action was needed, the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) should be "replaced with a multinational force", he suggested.

As of 29 September, a UN spokesman announced, UN peace-keepers continued their work "to the extent they can", although operating only in parts of Bosnia which were controlled by the Bosnian-Croat Federation.

The peace initiative, led by the United States since the beginning of August, was currently aimed at securing a Bosnia-wide cease-fire, he stated.

Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali on 22 September, in meeting with United States Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, expressed strong support for Mr. Holbrooke's efforts in the former Yugoslavia, taken on behalf of President William Clinton.

With regard to Croatia, its forced reintegration of the former Sectors West, North and South had "eliminated the need for a substantial UN military presence", the Secretary-General said. However, two infantry, battalions of the UN Confidence Restoration Operation (UNCRO) were to stay in Sector East to help re-establish the regime of the 29 March 1994 cease-fire.

Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) also made a step towards resolving their differences. In a 13 September Interim Accord, they agreed that FYROM would cease to use the symbols displayed on its national flag, and Greece would terminate the trade embargo imposed in 1994.

Throughout July, August and September, the Security Council met formally on 17 occasions to consider the situation in the former Yugoslavia, adopting 6 resolutions and issuing 10 presidential statements.

Also actively involved in negotiating, peace-keeping, peace enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts in that troubled part of the world were: the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia (ICFY), NATO, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

From 1 July to 30 September, some 1,259 violations of the ban on military flights, imposed under Council resolution 816 (1993), were reported - 178 less than in the previous three months, bringing to 6,970 the total number of apparent violations since monitoring began in November 1992 under resolution 781 (1992).

Events in Bosnia

On 11 July, Bosnian Serb forces had overrun the safe area of Srebrenica and by 14 July evicted thousands of Muslim refugees, while detaining Muslim men, whose fate is still unknown", as well as UNPROFOR troops from the Netherlands, the Secretary-General reported (A/50/1) on 22 August.

Other violations of international humanitarian law, the Secretary-General said, included: arbitrary mass detention of men and boys; abductions and disappearances; summary executions, as well as cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

In a 30 August report (S/1995/755), he said: "While Bosnian Serb authorities continue to deny these violations, their failure to provide adequate access to affected areas ... serves only to reinforce the conclusion that significant abuses occurred."

Further investigation, particularly of the allegations of "mass executions in Karakaj and Kasaba, as well as those missing and detained, is clearly warranted", he stressed.

By 25 July, the Bosnian Serbs had taken control of Zepa - another UN safe area. Local sources reported that some 4,800 of 6,700 inhabitants, mostly women, children and the elderly, had been evacuated. However, about 1,500 men of military age, possibly accompanied by family members, had taken to nearby hills and woods.

Also in the Zepa enclave, both sides had "threatened to kill UNPROFOR troops from Ukraine: the Bosnian Serbs, if NATO air strikes were used against them; and the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, if NATO air assets were not used", Mr. Boutros-Ghali reported.

Resolution 1004:

Srebrenica

The Security Council on 12 July asked the Secretary-General to use "all resources available" to him to restore the status of Srebrenica, as defined by the 18 August 1993 Agreement for the demilitarization of that area signed by the Bosnian Government and the Bosnian Serb party.

By unanimously adopting resolution 1004 (1995), the Council also demanded that the Bosnian Serb forces immediately "cease their offensive and withdraw from the safe area" of Srebrenica, and "immediately and unconditionally release unharmed all detained UNPROFOR personnel".

In expressing grave concern at the "deterioration in the situation in and around" Srebrenica, the plight of the civilian population there and a "great number of displaced persons" within the safe area at Potocari, especially the lack of essential food...