Joint Statement; enclosure of Command Structure for the BiH Army and the HVO

• Country/entity

  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Yugoslavia (former)
  
• Region

  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  
• Agreement name

  Joint Statement; enclosure of Command Structure for the BiH Army and the HVO
• Date

  25 Apr 1993
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Interstate/intrastate conflict(s) ( Balkan Conflicts (1991 - 1995) (1998 - 2001) )
• Stage

  Implementation/renegotiation
• Conflict nature

  Government/territory
• Peace process

  Bosnia peace process
• Parties

  Joint Statement: Alija IZETBEGOVIC; Mate BOBAN
  Enclosure: Alija IZETBEGOVIC, General Sefer HALILOVIC; Mate BOBAN, General Milivoj PETKOVIC
• Third parties

  Joint Statement witnessed by: Dr. Franjo Tudjman
• Description

  This short agreement contains commitments to implement previous agreements and military aspects of the Vance Owen Peace Plan. The enclosure provides for establishing a Joint Command between the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO).

• Agreement document

  BA_930425_Joint Statement and Enclosure of Command Structure for the BiH Army and the HVO.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Mr. Alija Izetbegovic and Mr. Mate Boban, at the meeting convoked in Zagreb on 24 April 1993, by the Co-Chairman of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia Lord David Owen and the President of the Republic of Croatia Dr. Franjo Tudjman, in the presence of Ambassador Peter Hall, Ambassador Herbert Okun, Ambassador Peter Ahrens, Brigadier John Wilson, Brigadier Messervy-Whithing, Mr. Frederick Eckhard, Mr. Ludlow, Mr. Brade, Dr. Jure Radic, Mr. Vladimir Šeks, Mr. Gojko Šušak, Dr. Zdenko Škrabalo, General Janko Bobetko, Ambassador Zdravko Sancevic, Dr. Željko Matic, Mr. Ivan Jamjak, Dr. Branimir Jakšic, Brigadier Mile Cuk, Mr. Ejup Ganic, General Sefer Halilovic,Ambassador Bisera Turkovic, Ambassador Muhamed Šacirbegovic, Mr. Kasim Trnsko and Major-General Milivoj Petkovic, have issued after the meeting the following

Joint Statement

1. In accordance with the Agreement between Mr. Alija Izetbegovic, Mr. Haris Silajdžic, Mr. Mate Boban and Mr. Mile Akmadžic, concluded on

3 March 1993 in New York, the six members of the coordination body, i.e. Mr. Alija Izetbegovic, Mr. Ejup Ganic and Mr. Fikret Abdic, and Mr. Mate Boban, Mr. Mile Akmadžic and Mr. Franjo Boras, will start working within the shortest possible time.

The coordination body will work on the implementation of the Vance-Owen plan to the extent possible, considering the character of the provisions and the present circumstances.

2. In connection with the renewal of the conflicts between the two armies (the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council) in central Bosnia and some other parts of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have caused many casualties and serious violations of international humanitarian law, thus posing the threat of far-reaching political consequences, the signatories of this Joint Statement hereby order all military units of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) to immediately cease fire and all hostilities in all areas where such military units are in contact.

3. The signatories of this Joint Statement urge all commanders and units of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) to unconditionally respect all the thus far concluded agreements between the representatives of the Croatian and Muslim peoples in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In particular, they urge military units of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of the Croatian Defence Council to immediately start implementing the Agreement on the legality of both the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the HVO, and on the establishment of a joint command of both forces made up of representatives of both headquarters (enclosure).

4. The signatories of the Joint Statement reaffirm that the conflicts between units of the HVO and of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina are contrary to the policy of the representatives of the two peoples, and that the continuation of such conflicts would seriously jeopardize the achievement of their political goals, i.e. the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of the Vance-Owen plan accepted and signed by the signatories of this Statement, and success in the fight against the aggressor who wants to break the State apart, occupy its territory and annex the occupied territories to "Greater Serbia".

5. The signatories of the Joint Statement condemn most severely all violations of the rules of international humanitarian law regardless of their perpetrators, both sides having been responsible according to data available so far, and undertake to urgently initiate joint and individual inquests concerning each instance of violation of such rights and immediately examine personal responsibility for the conflicts and crimes perpetrated against the civilian population.

The signatories also agree that the facts be established by a special independent international commission.

6. The signatories urge the cessation of mutual accusations leading to a media war.

(The Croatian version shall apply.)

(Signed) Mate BOBAN (Signed) Alija IZETBEGOVIC

Witnessed by:

Dr. Franjo TUDJMAN

25 April 1993, 0045 h

Enclosure

Command structure for the BiH Army and the HVO

1. The BiH Army and the HVO will retain their separate identities and command structures.

Their functions will include all aspects of personnel, logistics, administration, training, morale and identity.

2. They will form a Joint Command which will be responsible for the operational control of military districts.

3. The Joint Command will consist of the two Commanders-in-Chief, General Halilovic and General Petkovic, who will meet on a regular basis, at least weekly.

They will form a permanent joint headquarters to be located at Travnik and consisting of at least three high-calibre officers nominated by each Commander-in-Chief.

These officers will work together on a continuous basis to plan and control the operations of all BiH Army and HVO units.

4. The two Commanders-in-Chief will form military districts, under the joint headquarters, whose areas will be related to the operational requirement for joint operations and not to provisional provincial boundaries.

Their areas will not overlap.

Each military district will have a commander and a deputy appointed by the Joint Command.

In each case one will be drawn from the BiH Army and the other from the HVO.

5. Each military district will exercise operational control over all BiH Army and HVO units in its area.

Alija IZETBEGOVIC Mate BOBAN

General Sefer HALILOVIC´ General Milivoj PETKOVIC

Zagreb, 25 April 1993, 0045 h