Other
Military Aspects of the Peacekeeping Operation in Croatia
Siniša Tatalović
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
At the invitation of the belligerent Parties, the United Nations became
an active participant in efforts to end ihe war in Croatia. To bring peace
to Croatia, the UN Security Council expressed its readiness to send its
military formations to Croatia and deploy them in the crisis ares. It must
be said that the withdrawal of Yugoslav Army forces from Croatian territory
was especially important for the Republic of Croatia, and this is one of
rhe key points of the plan.
The UN forces came to Croatia in two stages with related substages.
The first stage meant getting to know the lie of the land, the deployment
of headquarters and logistics and planning the deployment of UN units.
The second stage of the peace activities began in the first week of April,
simultaneously in all the protected zones. In this stage the peace operation
could no longer easily be stopped, regardless of the frequent breaches
of the cease fire. The implementation of the peace operation in fact started
with the third stage, which was very important for its further course. The
course of the peace operation according to an advance scenario, and its
lenth, depended on the complete and successful implementation of this
third stage. lt is characterized by complete insight into the operative
situation, the lie of the land and constant maintenance of connections
and cooperation with the belligerent parties in the sector of activities.
This is a stage in which the UNPROFOR should have worked completely
idependently within its mandate. The fifth stage meant extending or
decreasing the UNPROFOR mandate, and the sixth stage was to have been
the last, the end of the peace operation.
In each of the stages that have been completely or partly implemented,
UNPROFOR met with different problems. UNPROFOR members were
Constantly in danger of losing their lives: because of mines, sudden
ambushes and kidnapping. These and other challenges to the personal
safety of peace-force members were geared at creating fear ana trying
to slow down the peace operation. The paramilitary formations in areas
under UNPROFOR protection could not be disarmed in a one-year
mandate, which was shown when hostilities were renewed at rhe
beginning of 1993 in South Sector.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
111600
URI
Publication date:
1.6.1993.
Visits: 1.552 *