Bosnia-Herzegovina Ceasefire Agreement

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Country/entity: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia (former)
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Bosnia-Herzegovina Ceasefire Agreement
Date: 12 Apr 1992
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Balkan Conflicts (1991 - 1995) (1998 - 2001)
Former Yugoslavia

The disintegration of former Yugoslavia post cold war saw conflicts which became mediated and produced peace agreements in Slovenia (where the brief independence conflict was mediated by the EC Troika in 1991), Croatia (between Croatian and Serb populations 1991-1995), in Bosnia (between Croatian, Serb and Bosniak populations 1992-1995), in Macedonia (where mediation played a key pre-emptive role in preventing large scale conflict in 2001), in Kosovo (between Kosovar Albanians and Serbian population and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), but also between FRY and NATO, 1998-1999), and a conflict in the Presevo Valley (between Albanians in South Serbia and FRY, 2000-2001). The continued fall-out of the disintegration of former Yugoslavia also saw mediated agreement and ultimate dissolution of the Union between Serbia and Montenegro.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

In 1991, after nationalist parties won the first multi-party elections in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a violent process of disintegration commenced. With its mixed population, Bosnia-Herzegovina became the centre of the following civil war that began in 1992 between the newly formed army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (mostly Muslim Bosniacs), and the parastatal forces of self-declared Bosnian Croat (Herzeg-Bosnia) and Bosnian Serb (Republika Srpska) entities within Bosnia-Herzegovina, supported by Croatia and Serbia, with various, often short-lived, coalitions. The General Framework Agreement (Dayton Peace Agreement), signed in 1995, split the country into two ethno-federal entities, the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Republika Srpska, and included continued peacekeeping and institutional administration by international actors.

Kosovo

The conflict between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians has a long history and always involved territorial disputes as well as ethno-political, cultural and linguistic factors. The most recent phase of the conflict began in November 1997 when the Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA or UCK) began their campaign for the independence of Kosovo from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY – then Serbia and Montenegro). The subsequent war lasted until the NATO intervention, which undertook bombing campaigns of Belgrade and other places in Serbia during spring 1999. The main agreements solving the conflict were internationally driven and, finally, a UNSC resolution imposed a post-conflict arrangement in the wake of what was essentially a NATO military victory. In February 2008, Kosovo’s parliament declared independence, but independence is still internationally disputed.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Bosnia peace process
Parties: The leaders of the three main parties of Bosnia and Herzegovina [Mate Boban, Alija Izetbegovic, Radovan Karadzic]
Third parties: -
Description: This short agreement provides for an immediate and total ceasefire, and includes commitments to disband all irregular armed forces, the right of return for refugees, and to work on defining the areas of future constituent units of the state.

Agreement document: BA_920412_Bosnia-Herzegovina Cease-fire Agreement.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Rhetorical
Page 1,
Solemnly agree...In this context the three main parties reaffirm their opposition to any territorial gain by force and agree on the right of return for the refugees, without adverse consequences in respect of employment or otherwise.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: Page 1,
Solemnly agree...To start in the most urgent way work on defining the areas of future constituent units of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: Rights related issues→Media and communication→Media roles
Page 1,
The three parties agree that all parties should have equal access to television.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1,
Solemnly agree:... To stop all activities that can provoke fear and instability among
the population like the action of snipers and the bombardment out of Sarajevo and other towns and villages. All house searches, barricades and general artillery actions of all kinds should stop immediately.

Page 1,
Solemnly agree... All threatening artillery should be removed under the control of the EC Monitors simultaneously with the suspension of all mobilization. These two actions should start within 24 hours of the ceasefire.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
[Summary: The agreement in its entirety provides for a ceasefire, and accompanying modalities].

Page 1,
Solemnly agree: To declare an immediate and total cease-fire on all the territory of Bosnia and Hercegovina, starting on Sunday, 12 April, at midnight.

Page 1,
Solemnly agree:... To stop all activities that can provoke fear and instability among
the population like the action of snipers and the bombardment out of Sarajevo and other towns and villages. All house searches, barricades and general artillery actions of all kinds should stop immediately.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: Security sector→DDR→Demilitarisation provisions
Page 1,
Solemnly agree...To disband all irregular armed forces, in accordance with an agreed timetable. This will be conducted under the supervision and control of the EC Monitors.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1,
Solemnly agree:... To stop all activities that can provoke fear and instability among
the population like the action of snipers and the bombardment out of Sarajevo and other towns and villages. All house searches, barricades and general artillery actions of all kinds should stop immediately.

Page 1,
Solemnly agree... All threatening artillery should be removed under the control of the EC Monitors simultaneously with the suspension of all mobilization. These two actions should start within 24 hours of the ceasefire.

Page 1,
Solemnly agree...To disband all irregular armed forces, in accordance with an agreed timetable. This will be conducted under the supervision and control of the EC Monitors.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 1,
Solemnly agree... All threatening artillery should be removed under the control of the EC Monitors simultaneously with the suspension of all mobilization. These two actions should start within 24 hours of the ceasefire.

Page 1,
Solemnly agree...To disband all irregular armed forces, in accordance with an agreed timetable. This will be conducted under the supervision and control of the EC Monitors.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 749 (1992), (S/23836), Annex III
http://repository.un.org/

Bosnia-Herzegovina Ceasefire Agreement, 12 April 1992

The leaders of the three main parties of Bosnia and Herzegovina - aware of the extremely serious situation now prevailing in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Solemnly agree:

- To declare an immediate and total cease-fire on all the territory of Bosnia and Hercegovina, starting on Sunday, 12 April, at midnight.

- To stop all activities that can provoke fear and instability among the population like the action of snipers and the bombardment of Sarajevo and other towns and villages.

All house searches, barricades and general arbitrary actions of all kinds should stop immediatly.

- All threatening artillery should be removed under the control of the EC Monitors simultaneously with the suspension of all mobilization.

These two actions should start within 24 hours of the cease-fire.

- To disband all irregular armed forces, in accordance with an agreed timetable.

This will be conducted under the supervision and control of the EC Monitors.

- To start in the most urgent way work on defining the areas of future constitutent units of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

- In this context the three main parties reaffirm their opposition to any territorial gain by force and agree on the right of return for the refugees, without adverse consequences in respect of employment or otherwise.

The three parties agree that all parties should have equal access to television.