Release of all civilian prisoners and cleaning up of the battle field

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Country/entity: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia (former)
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Release of all civilian prisoners and cleaning up of the battle field
Date: 29 Apr 1993
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: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Bosnia peace process
Parties: CHIEF COMMANDER of HVO HQ, BRIGADIER MILIVOJ PETKOVIC; CHIEF COMMANDER of BiH ARMY HQ GENERAL SEFER HALILOVIC
Third parties: -
Description: This agreement provides for a release of all civilian prisoners, and the collection of all dead bodies from the battlefield. It also provides for lists of names and places to be compiled and sent to relatives, and cooperation with UNPROFOR, UNHCR, ICRC and ECMM.

Agreement document: BA_930429_Release of all civilian prisoners and cleaning up of the battle field.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: Groups→Children/youth→Substantive
Page 1, 1.
All civilian persons: men, women and children, who were imprisoned during the conflicts between BiH Army and HVO, are to be released before 12.00 hours 30 april 1993.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: Page 1, 1.
All civilian persons: men, women and children, who were imprisoned during the conflicts between BiH Army and HVO, are to be released before 12.00 hours 30 april 1993.
Men and boys: Gender→Men and boys→Gender neutral wording
Page 1, 1.
All civilian persons: men, women and children, who were imprisoned during the conflicts between BiH Army and HVO, are to be released before 12.00 hours 30 april 1993.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: Page 1, 3.
The collection of all dead bodies from the battlefield, that means picking up and burrying them, is to start immediately. This cleaning of the battlefield should be done without fighting or provocations. Lists of names and places are to be made to inform relatives and proper commands. This is to be finished before 16.00 hours 30 april 1993.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: Page 1, 5.
During the implementation of these orders the commands of the Corpses and the Operational Zones have to cooperate in close connection with UNPROFOR, UNHCR, ICRC and ECMM.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: Page 1, 1.
All civilian persons: men, women and children, who were imprisoned during the conflicts between BiH Army and HVO, are to be released before 12.00 hours 30 april 1993.

Page 1, 2.
At the same time lists with their names and addresses are to be made and delivered to the proper commands.

Page 1, 3.
The collection of all dead bodies from the battlefield, that means picking up and burying them, is to start immediately. This cleaning of the battlefield should be done without fighting or provocations. Lists of names and places are to be made to inform relatives and proper commands. This is to be finished before 16.00 hours 30 april 1993.

Page 1, 4.
The commands of the Corpses and the Operational Zones are responsible for the implementation of these orders. They have to deliver written reports, with these lists of released civilians, persona killed and buried, before 12.00 hours 01 may 1993.

Page 1, 5.
During the implementation of these orders the commands of the Corpses and the Operational Zones have to cooperate in close connection with UNPROFOR, UNHCR, ICRC and ECMM.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: Page 1, 3.
The collection of all dead bodies from the battlefield, that means picking up and burying them, is to start immediately. This cleaning of the battlefield should be done without fighting or provocations. Lists of names and places are to be made to inform relatives and proper commands. This is to be finished before 16.00 hours 30 april 1993.

Page 1, 4.
The commands of the Corpses and the Operational Zones are responsible for the implementation of these orders. They have to deliver written reports, with these lists of released civilians, persona killed and buried, before 12.00 hours 01 may 1993.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 1, 5.
During the implementation of these orders the commands of the Corpses and the Operational Zones have to cooperate in close connection with UNPROFOR, UNHCR, ICRC and ECMM.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: ICTY Court Records, Kordic-Cerkez trial exhibit 852a
http://icr.icty.org/

RELEASE OF ALL CIVILIAN PRISONERS AND CLEANING UP OF THE BATTLE FIELD

1. All civilian persons:

men, women and children, who were imprisonned during the conflicts between BiB Army and HVO, are to be released before 12.00 hours 30 april 1993.

2. At the same time lists with their names and adresses are to be made and delivered to the proper commands.

3. T'he collection of all dead bodies from the battleield, that means picking up and burrying them, is to start immediately.

Thia cleaninq of the battlefield should be done without fighting or provocations.

Lists of names and places are to be made to inform relatives and proper commands.

This is to be finished before 16.00 hours 30 april 1993.

4. The commands of the Corpses and the Operational Zones are responsible for the implementation of these orders.

They have to deliver written reports, with these lists of released civilians, persons killed and burried, before 12.00 hours 01 may 1993.

5. During the implementation of these orders the commands of the Corpses and the Operational Zones have to cooperate in close connection with UNPROFOR, UNHCR, ICRC and ECMM.