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U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL PRESENTS REPORT ON UNTAES WITHDRAWAL STRATE GY

WASHINGTON, 24 June (Hina) - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has proposed a two-phase withdrawal strategy for U.N. forces in the Croatian Danube river region, with the simultaneous transfer of authorities of the U.N. Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) to Croatia in the areas of eastern Slavonija, Baranja and western Sirmium.
GY WASHINGTON, 24 June (Hina) - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has proposed a two-phase withdrawal strategy for U.N. forces in the Croatian Danube river region, with the simultaneous transfer of authorities of the U.N. Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) to Croatia in the areas of eastern Slavonija, Baranja and western Sirmium. #L# The speed of the transfer of authority would depend on how successful individual actions by the Croatian authorities are. The transfer of authority would be followed by the withdrawal of the largest part of UNTAES military component by mid October 1997, said Annan in his Report on the situation in Croatia to the U.N. The report was publicised in New York on Tuesday. The speed of the transfer of authority would be proportional to the extent Croatia has shown its ability to strengthen the trust of the Serb population and to successfully complete the peaceful reintegration, Annan said. In the first phase, the U.N. Transitional Administrator would transfer to Croatia the executive powers of the largest part of the civil administration in the region, and retain his authority and the possibility to intervene and outvote decisions, should the situation deteriorate and should UNTAES results be threatened. In the second phase, depending on how satisfactory Croatia's behaviour is, the remaining executive functions would be transferred and Croatia would take over the responsibility of maintaining the demilitarisation of the region and gradually integrating the Transitional Police Force. The adoption of the two-phase withdrawal strategy, whose draft was designed by the Transitional Administrator, would enable a progressive withdrawal of UNTAES which would run parallel to the transfer of executive functions to the Croatian authorities, Annan said. The first phase would include a possible withdrawal of two battalions and one troop by 15 August, which would reduce the present 5,000-strong force to 2,530, including 720 members of assistant military staff. Further withdrawal would follow after September, depending on how the situation develops, and it would be aimed at reducing the number of soldiers to 720 by mid October. The number of military observers would remain unchanged (100), but because of the reduction of the military component, they would have to take greater responsibility in following the security situation, Annan said. The approved number of 600 civil police officers could be decreased to the current 450 until their full integration into Croatian police forces in October. Civil police could further be reduced to the necessary minimum of 250. Annan also proposed a changed civil staff structure which would concentrate on the problem of refugees and human rights and be connected with new municipalities. By October, the civil component would be reduced from 485 to 315 international staff members and from 746 to 399 local staff members, and another 70 U.N. volunteers. A sudden withdrawal of UNTAES could lead to an exodus of Serbs, Annan said, adding that the two-phase proposal of withdrawal strategy is an efficient and economic program of successful completion of peaceful reintegration and UNTAES withdrawal from the region. The key precondition for that is full cooperation on the part of the Croatian government, which has the responsibility of convincing the local population that the reintegration of people in the region is sustainable and that the process of reconciliation and return is irrevocable. Croatia still has to show its determination to fulfil this obligation, Annan said. Croatia's results would be carefully monitored, including those concerning the full implementation of guarantees and rights it has promised so far, equal treatment of Serbs in the allocation of benefits and services provided by the state, considerable progress in the two-way return of refugees, prosecution of those responsible for inter-ethnic violence, the establishment of a program of national reconciliation and serious efforts aimed at signing bilateral agreements on demilitarisation and flexible border regime. Annan expressed support for the deployment of monitors of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Croatia and called on the Croatian government to fully cooperate with them. Should the key elements of the proposal not be carried out as planned, the Security Council would consider the situation in the Croatian Danube river region on 15 October. Speaking about the situation in the region, Annan said that UNTAES had achieved considerable success in the demilitarisation, reintegration of institutions and creation of conditions for successful elections. It seems that people in the region have accepted the Croatian citizenship and state, Annan said. The institutional reintegration of the region is being completed but the reintegration of people has barely started, U.N. Secretary General said. Annan's report, printed on 19 pages, also includes a detailed account of Croatia's past failures in the peaceful reintegration of the Danube river region, including attacks on, intimidation and pressure against Serbs living in the region and elsewhere in Croatia, the passivity of the police, hostile propaganda of the Croatian media and serious delays in the payment of pension allowances and other social benefits, failures in the fulfilment of other deadlines and guarantees and resistance on the local basis. As a result, the expectations of Serbs concerning their future are very low, Annan said. Without a renewed commitment of the Croatian government to secure the safety of Serb returnees and without strong presence of international observers, this key element of the UNTAES mandate could fail, Annan said. At the end of this month, the U.N. Security Council should consider Annan's proposal of UNTAES withdrawal strategy and authority transfer in eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Sirmium. The current UNTAES mandate expires on 15 July, 1997. (hina) rm 241206 MET jun 97

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