United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium
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The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacekeeping mission in eastern parts of Croatia between 1996 and 1998.
After Operation Storm in mid-1995, the only remaining part of the Republic of Serbian Krajina became that in the east, near the border with Serbia. The subsequent Dayton agreement ended the first batch of Yugoslav wars, and laid the ground for the restoration of this territory into Croatian jurisdiction.
UNTAES was set up by the Erdut Agreement between the Croatian Government and the representatives of the Serbs in the region. The mission started on January 15, 1996 and was meant to last for one year, during which they were to monitor the demilitarization of these regions and ensure the peaceful reintegration of the territory into Croatia. The mission had a military and a civilian component; a bit over 4,800 soldiers, 400-odd police officers and 99 military observers.
It had its mandate extended for another year and ended on January 15, 1998. A support group of 180 civilian UN police officers remained to monitor the progress of the Croatian police and oversee the return of the refugees.
External links
- Official UNTAES site (http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/untaes.htm)