Announcement (Ceasefire for Vitez municipality)

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Country/entity: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia (former)
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Announcement (Ceasefire for Vitez municipality)
Date: 22 Oct 1992
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 peace process
Parties: Mr. Anders Levinsen, UNHCR; Captain Saimon Elis, UNPROFOR - U.K.; Friar Ante Tomas; Mr. Omer efendija Mestrovac; Mr. Sefkija Djidic, Armed Forces of Vitez; Mr. Sulejman Kalco, Armed Forces of Vitez; Mr. Pero Skopljak, HVO; Mr. Ivan Santic, HVO; Mr. Mario Cerkez, the HVO Headquarters
Third parties: -
Description: This short agreement provides for the removal of barricades in the municipality of Vitez, removal of heavy weapons, and release of prisoners from the motel 'Lovac' and the Armed Forces captured by the HVO.

Agreement document: BA_921022_Announcement.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Isolated example
Rationale: Secondary sources suggest that this was brokered by locally based UNPROFOR British troops in response to deteriorating relations and outbreaks of violence between Croats and Muslims in Central Bosina, specifically barricades and prisoners in Kruščica, on the edge of Vitez. There are no clear links to connect it to the agreement made at the same time between representatives of the nearby villages of Santici and Ahmici.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: No
Link to national process: articulated rationale: There is no link to a national process referenced in the agreement, and secondary sources suggest that this was brokered by locally based UNPROFOR British troops in response to deteriorating relations and outbreaks of violence between Croats and Muslims in Central Bosina. It is difficult to establish a clear link between this and the national level talks.
Name of Locale: Vitez
Nature of Locale: Region
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 44.150272, 17.790591
Participant type: Local armed group
International or transnational actor
Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
Mediator, facilitator or similar: Mediator or similar referred to
Mediator (references): Captain Simon Ellis, UNPROFOR - U.K Mr. Anders Levinsen (UNHCR)
Type of mediator/facilitator/similar: International or transnational actor

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.

THURSDAY.

22nd OCTOBER 1992

ANNOUNCEMENT

PRESENT ARE:

• Mr. Anders Levinsen, UNHCR

• Captain Saimon Elis, UNPROFOR - U.K.

• Friar Ante Tomas

• Mr. Omer efendija Mestrovac

• Mr. Sefkija Djidic, Armed Forces of Vitez

• Mr. Sulejman Kalco, Armed Forces of Vitez

• Mr. Pero Skopljak, HVO

• Mr. Ivan Santic, HVO

• Mr. Mario Cerkez, the HVO Headquarters

announce as follows:

1. Remove all barricades, which are still left, in THE MUNICIPALITY OF VITEZ and firstly, in Kruscica and at the crossing towards Zenica.

Armed

Formations are also not permitted to stay too long at all communication points.

Joint control in the field, shall perform the HVO Commanders and the Commanders of the Armed Forces of Vitez in the presence of UNPROFOR, Representatives of the Church and the Islamic Religious Community.

Deadline is today, til~6 p.m.

2. Remove all heavy weapons from the closer area of Vitez and dislocate it to the previous positions.

Deadline is today, till 6 p.m.

3. After the break of a blockade of the Regional HVO Headquarters in Kruscica, the prisoners, who are in the motel "LOVAC", shall be released.

The Armed Force Commander guarantees that the blockades shall not be afterwards raised again .

4. The HVO Commander pledged himself to consult the HVO Commander for the Central Bosnia for the mixed Commission of the HVO and the Armed Forces to be formed and which would determine the consequence of the yesterday's conflict at the "PLAVAC" hotel.

5. After the raise of a blockade of all communications in Vitez and de-blockade of the Regional HVO Headquarters, the Rear Command of the Armed Forces captured by the HVO Forces today, shall be released.

The eight of above listed Representatives signed the document.