Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement, Pleso

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Country/entity: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia (former)
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement, Pleso
Date: 23 Dec 1994
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: Alija Izetbegovic; Rasim Delic; Radovan Karadzic; Ratko Mladic
Third parties: Witnessed by: Yasushi Akashi; Bertrand De La Presle
Description: This short agreement provides for a general ceasefire at 1200 hours on 24 December 1994, to last for four months and seven days. The parties agree to enable mobility of humanitarian convoys, release all detainees, and begin negotiations for a comprehensive cessation of hostilities.

Agreement document: BA_941223_ComprehensiveCeasefireAgreement, Pleso.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Main category: Page 1, Article 4
The parties agree to protect the human rights of those persons residing within territory under their control in accordance with international standards, to include international humanitarian law. All peoples, regardless of age, sex or ethnic origin, shall have the right to live in a location of their choice.

Women, girls and gender

Participation: No specific mention.
Equality: No specific mention.
Particular groups of women: No specific mention.
International law: International law→General IHRL, IHL and IL
Page 1, Article 4
The parties agree to protect the human rights of those persons residing within territory under their control in accordance with international standards, to include international humanitarian law. All peoples, regardless of age, sex or ethnic origin, shall have the right to live in a location of their choice.
New institutions: No specific mention.
Violence against women: No specific mention.
Transitional justice: No specific mention.
Institutional reform: No specific mention.
Development: No specific mention.
Implementation: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Comprehensive Cease-fire Agreement

The undersigned representatives agree as follows:

1. There shall be a general cease-fire along all lines of confrontation, which will take effect at 1200 hours on 24 December 1994.

The general cease-fire shall be for an initial period of seven days and four months and shall be subject to renewal by agreement of the parties.

2. Should any party breach the terms of this agreement, and if such a breach is verified, the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) shall report such a breach of the terms of the agreement through the Secretary-General to the Security Council immediately.

The parties shall be responsible for reporting breaches to each other and to UNPROFOR.

UNPROFOR shall assess allegations of breaches, attempt to resolve them where possible, and make public the results of its assessment, as appropriate.

3. The parties shall enable the passage of UNPROFOR and humanitarian convoys as well as teams deployed for the purpose of monitoring the cease-fire in accordance with the terms of this agreement and existing procedures.

The parties commit themselves to full respect for the safety and security of UNPROFOR, humanitarian and related personnel.

4. The parties agree to protect the human rights of those persons residing within territory under their control in accordance with international standards, to include international humanitarian law.

All people, regardless of age, sex or ethnic origin, shall have the right to live in a location of their choice.

The human rights situation in all areas shall be subject to international monitoring and observation.

5. The parties agree to the prompt and unconditional release of all detainees, to include prisoners of war, and the release of all available information on missing persons, each to be carried out in its own right.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will elaborate, in conjunction with the parties, a plan of action to implement this portion of the agreement.

6. Negotiations aimed at achieving a comprehensive cessation of hostilities agreement for a period of no less than four months shall commence immediately after this agreement takes effect, with the intention of concluding the cessation of hostilities agreement by 1 January 1995.

During the negotiations the Commanders of the parties in conflict will meet under the chairmanship of UNPROFOR to determine the military arrangements for the implementation of a cessation of all combat activities along all lines of confrontation.

23 December 1994

(Signed) Alija IZETBEGOVIC

(Signed) Radovan KARADŽIC

(Signed) Rasim DELIC

(Signed) Ratko MLADIC

Witnessed by:

(Signed) Yasushi AKASHI

(Signed) Bertrand DE LA PRESLE