UN Offers to Revamp Peacekeeping Mission in Croatia Amid Concerns of Renewed War

A potential solution to avoid a second Serb-Croat war is being proposed by the United Nations, which aims to modify its peacekeeping mission in Croatia. The UN is considering replacing armed peacekeepers along the 1,100-kilometre Serb-Croat front line with unarmed monitors, and taking up positions on Croatia's border. However, the rebel Serbs who hold nearly one-third of the republic's territory are unlikely to agree to the changes. The Croatian government, led by President Franjo Tudjman, had ordered the 12,000 peacekeepers to leave by March 31, citing their failure to restore government control over rebel areas.

Key Takeaways:

• The UN is proposing to replace armed peacekeepers with unarmed monitors along the 1,100-kilometre Serb-Croat front line.
• The change aims to appease the Croatian government, which had ordered the 12,000 peacekeepers to leave by March 31.
• The rebel Serbs, who control nearly one-third of Croatia's territory, are unlikely to agree to the changes.
• President Franjo Tudjman had blamed the UN peacekeepers for failing to restore government control over rebel areas.
• The UN is also offering to take up positions on Croatia's border, as demanded by Tudjman.
• The Serbs control much of the border and are likely to reject UN control of cross-border traffic.
• A second Serb-Croat war could quickly spread to Bosnia, where the Croatian government has announced a military alliance with Bosnian Croats and the Muslim-led government.

Statistics:

• 1,100 kilometres: The length of the Serb-Croat front line.
• 12,000: The number of peacekeepers to be replaced by the UN.
• 1/3: The proportion of Croatia's territory held by rebel Serbs.
• 6 months: The length of the war between Serbs and Croats in 1991.

Sources:

• AP