United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium |
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|---|---|
| Org type | Peacekeeping |
| Acronyms | UNTAES |
| Head | Jacques Paul Klein William Walker |
| Status | Completed |
| Established | January 15, 1996 |
| Headquarters | Vukovar |
| Website | http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/untaes.htm |
| Parent org | United Nations Security Council |
The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacekeeping mission in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia in the eastern parts of Croatia between 1996 and 1998, established by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1037 of January 15, 1996.[1] It is also sometimes known as the United Nations Transitional Authority in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium.
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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 Yugoslavia. The subsequent Dayton agreement ended the most deadly conflicts of the Yugoslav wars, and laid the ground for the restoration of this territory into Croatian jurisdiction.
The Erdut Agreement between the Croatian Government and the representatives of the Serbs in the region was signed in November 1995, which requested that the UN form a transitional authority and a peacekeeping force. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1023 supported that, and after the UNCRO mission was terminated in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1025, UNTAES was set up to serve as a United Nations protectorate over the region in Resolution 1037.
The mission started on January 15, 1996 with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1043. It 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.
The mission was extended several times:
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1145 in late 1997 arranged for the United Nations Police Support Group (UNPSG) to take over UNTAES' policing tasks, effectively concluding the UNTAES mission 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.