Joint Statement

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Country/entity: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia (former)
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Joint Statement
Date: 21 Oct 1993
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/local 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 Local peace processes
Parties: President of the Croatian Republic of Herceg Bosnia Mate Boban; President of the AP Western Bosnia Fikret Abdic
Third parties: -
Description: This short statement provides for a ceasefire between the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the armed forces of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, and announces the cooperation of the the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia and the Croatian Republic of Herceg Bosnia.

Agreement document: BA_931021_Joint Statement (Autonomous Province of West Bosnia).pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Informal but persistent process
Rationale: This agreement is one of several between the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia and other self-declared republics, that was conducted without the approval of the Bosnian government and outside of the formal national peace talks, relating to the status of the Bihac region in northwestern Bosnia.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: No
Link to national process: articulated rationale: The agreement makes several references to the London Peace Conference and the Geneva Peace Conference. However, the agreement is made between the leader of a newly self-declared autonomous province and a second self-declared republic, and was agreed in a process that was conducted in parallel to and contradiction of the national peace process.
Name of Locale: Western Bosnia
Nature of Locale: Region
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 44.812905, 15.870652
Participant type: Local armed group
Mediator, facilitator or similar: No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture): No specific mention.
Grievance List: No specific mention.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

JOINT STATEMENT

President of the Croatian Republic of Herceg Bosnia Mate Boban

and

President of the AP Western Bosnia Fikret Abdic

Accepting the principles of the London conference and taking into consideration provisions for the constitution of the future Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, put forward by, the Geneva Peace Conference;

Respecting the traditional interests of the Croatian and the Muslim peoples;

Convinced of the need for the permanent confidence building between the Croatian and the Muslim peoples and for the implementation of efficient measures thereof;

Respecting the Declaration and the Geneva agreements between the representatives of the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina of 14 September 1993;

WE STATE

1. In the light of the excellent cooperation between the Croats and the Muslims in the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, whose legitimate authorities and predominantly Muslim population have been exposed to attacks by the B&H Army, we are determined to exert efforts on the cessation of all hostilities in the territory of the Union of the Republics and on the establishment of an immediate and lasting cease fire in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia.

To that effect the HVO units for the Bihac region will remain incorporated into the armed forces of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia.

2. Changes in the B&H Presidency by a faction of the Presidency led by Alija Izetbegovic we consider un-constitutional and illegal because a member can be dismissed from the Presidency only if he hands in his resignation or if he has been revoked by his constituency.

That act, which runs contrary to the Geneva agreement and the arrangements for the establishment of friendship and cooperation between the Croats and the Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, brought an end to the last remaining democratically elected institution in B&H.

3. The signatories of this statement are committed to the establishment of the closest possible relations between the Autonomous republic of Western Bosnia and the Croatian Republic Herceg Bosnia, in the Union of the Republics of B&H.

4. By the same token, we are calling on all the parties to strictly respect internationally recognized human rights and freedoms and to ensure unrestricted movement of humanitarian convoys and civilians.

Zagreb, 21 October 1993.

President of the Croatian Republic Herceg Bosnia

Mate Boban

President of the AP Western Bosnia

Fikret Abdic