U.N. TROOPS IN CROATIA AWAITING NEW EASTERN SLAVONIA MANDATE

ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - Awaiting a new mandate for Eastern Slavonia, UN troops in Croatia are making preparations for the arrival of a new international administrator who will run the area for a transitional period, UN spokesman Phil Arnold said in Zagreb on Tuesday. Some priority measures had already been taken, including plans to set up offices in regional centres such as Vukovar, Osijek and Vinkovci, Arnold told a press conference. The UN Security Council was expected to pass a resolution this week determining the number of international troops to implement a peace agreement in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem, the areas of eastern Croatia still under Serb occupation. Arnold added that international civilian police observers and border guards would also be deployed in the area. The UN mandate in Croatia expires on January 15. There are 2,900 UN troops currently in Croatia, of whom 1,578 are in Eastern Slavonia and the rest are logistics forces headquartered at Zagreb airport, Split, Ploce and Daruvar, UN military spokesman Major Donald Roy said. The number of UN peacekeepers in Croatia totalled 12,400 in July last year. (hina) vm 091514 MET jan 96