Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

British general warns of tough 'enforcement'

Christopher Bellamy
Friday 15 December 1995 00:02 GMT
0Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Croat, Serb and Muslim forces in Bosnia could carry on their scorched-earth policy - burning and destroying homes and other property in areas which are to be transferred under the Dayton peace agreement - for 30 days after the main Nato forces are committed, military sources said yesterday.

About 700 square miles seized by the Muslim-led Bosnian government forces are to be handed back to the Bosnian Serb "entity" in Bosnia under the accord. Croat forces have been torching houses in the biggest area to be transferred, around Mrkonjic Grad, which will be the responsibility of the British contingent.

Tuesday is "D-Day", when United Nations forces in Bosnia will switch to Nato command and additional Nato forces will start moving into Bosnia. Under the Dayton accord, the 60,000-strong Nato peace-implementation force will only have the "right to provide security" in the areas of transfer after "D plus 30" - mid January. But Nato commanders believe that, after yesterday's signing of the agreement in Paris, local factions will be more "circumspect" about doing anything which will "irritate" the Nato implementation force (I-For) the main body of which will be committed on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Once committed, Nato forces hope to deter any opposition to the peace plan. But if they encounter local opposition, senior officers said yesterday, they will use their tanks and artillery to "enforce" it. "I hope I don't have to use them at all," said Major-General Mike Jackson, 51, who is about to leave for Bosnia to command the British-led "multinational division south-west", one of three components of the Nato force.

Implementing the ceasefire is an operation "without precedent" in the history of peace-keeping, said Gen Jackson. "The only one I can think of is the Israeli withdrawal from Sinai, but I wouldn't want to push that parallel too far," he said at his headquarters at Bulford, Salisbury Plain, yesterday.

Nato is going in to enforce an agreed ceasefire, something unusual in the history of peacekeeping; normally peacekeeping forces are deployed while negotiations are still taking place.

The British-led division has the largest area of Bosnia, but not the largest in terms of population. The French-led division takes the south- east and the Americans the north. The British-led division, which will have British, Canadian and possibly Pakistani brigades under its command, will have 24 Challenger tanks and 24 self-propelled guns.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

0Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in