United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium
Prijelazna uprava Ujedinjenih naroda za istočnu Slavoniju, Baranju i zapadni Srijem(Croatian) Прелазна управа Уједињених нација за источну Славонију, Барању и западни Срем(Serbian)Official languages of the United Nations: إدارة الأمم المتحدة الانتقالية في سلافونيا الشرقية وبارانيا وسيرميوم الغربية(
Arabic) Administration transitoire des Nations unies pour la Slavonie orientale, la Baranja et le Srem occidental(French) Временная администрация Организации Объединённых Наций для Восточной Славонии, Бараньи и Западного Срема(Russian) Administración de Transición de las Naciones Unidas en Eslavonia Oriental, Baranya y Sirmia Occidental(Spanish) 联合国东斯拉沃尼亚、巴拉尼亚和西锡尔米乌姆过渡行政当局(Chinese
The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a
UNCRO. While the region was covered under the UNCRO's sector east (sector led by Russian and Belgian forces), the whole UNCRO mission was brought into question by the Operation Storm
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (its constituent Republic of Serbia). It was also economically and socially dependent and politically much more closely aligned with authorities in Belgrade and Novi Sad than Krajina.[4] This led the international community to believe that Croatian intervention in Eastern Slavonia case would trigger a military reaction from Yugoslavia and result in an escalation of hostilities.[5] At the same time, the military defeat of Krajina and signing of the Washington Agreement opened the space to resolve the armed conflict in Bosnia which the US Administration wanted to use for political benefits before the 1996 United States presidential election.[6]
In the context of successful Croatian military interventions of Bljesak and Oluja, the initial idea that the region of Eastern Slavonia could be integrated back to Croatia through peaceful means was perceived with astonishment on Croatian side and as a form of pressure from the
Croatian military establishment held informal talks about preparation of a military solution for the region under the code name "Skok u Dalj" ("Jump to Dalj").[7] There was lack of enthusiasm and belief that peaceful process would be successful among the involved parties and other states in the region, themselves recently involved in Yugoslav Wars.[7]
The transitional administration started its operations on January 15, 1996, with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1043.[2] It was meant to last for one year, with a provision for an extension of the mandate for up to one year at the request of either party.[2] Administration's main task was to monitor demilitarization and ensure peaceful reintegration of the territory into Croatia. UN Secretary General initially proposed that UNTAES should have 9,300 soldiers.[2] By the final agreement the administration had a military and a civilian component with 5,000 soldiers,[2] 500 UNTAES civilian police (UNCIVPOL)[2] and 99 military observers. At its full deployment UNTAES consisted of 4849 soldiers, 99 military observers and 401 civil police members, close to the agreed number.[9]
Before the arrival of UNTAES troops in region there were already 1,600 troops from the
Ukrainian helicopter gunships and other units.[2] United States took a dominant role in implementation of reintegration process.[8]
Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.[2] Therefore, the headquarters were located in Vukovar, with a liaison office in Beli Manastir, which provided UNTAES civil affairs officers with the opportunity to attend sessions of local Serb Executive Councils and assemblies which facilitated exchange of relevant information.[2] One of the challenges the mission faced was the tense but mostly peaceful retake of Đeletovci oil fields from the control of Scorpions paramilitary.[2] Representatives of mission urged ambassadors from Zagreb to visit the region and additionally introduced the practice of visiting of the local Serbian orthodox churches and two Catholic churches that still were in operation.[2]
On 13th of April 1997 UNTAES facilitated the conduct of
Croatian Chamber of Counties election in region and on that occasion special US mission under Nancy Ely-Raphael leadership visited Vukovar.[8] US special mission visited Sarvaš, Erdut, Dalj, Vukovar, Borovo, Lovas, Opatovac, Ilok, Šarengrad, Bilje, Čeminac, Beli Manastir and Kneževi Vinogradi.[8] US mission gave its thanks to Croatian authorities for enabling Serb population with missing Croatian documents to vote and to local Serbian executive committee presided by Vojislav Stanimirović for motivating local Serb population to take part in Croatian elections.[8] Mission once more underlined that the goal of Erdut Agreement to re-establish multi-ethnic region in Croatian Podunavlje.[8]
Local police reform
One of the main tasks of UNTAES was the reform of local police forces, which before the war were involved in the first inter-ethnic conflicts (see:
US Department of Justice, bought uniforms without any state insignia.[2] The Croatian government initially refused to begin paying salaries to local police, but later agreed to do so since it demonstrated the return of Croatian sovereignty and responsibility for region.[2] The second problem was the fact that Croatian government refused to pay salaries in Yugoslav dinars while the local police didn't want to receive Croatian kuna, so in the end it was paid in Deutsche Marks.[2] The management of transitional police forces was functioning on the basis of dualism, in which each top position in the region there were two individuals, one from Croatian and one from the Serbian community, including double commanders of police forces.[7] Support for UNTAES was provided by the Polish Special Police Group that made first arrest of an indicated war criminal who was a former mayor of Vukovar.[2]
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