§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has to suggest that Serbian forces and Croatian forces have been fighting in Bosnia during the past year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggReports from various sources suggest that both regular Croatian army forces are active in Bosnia. Both Croatia and Serbia also appear to have given material support to their respective allies in Bosnia through the provision of equipment and by recruiting personnel. The European Union and the United Nations have made clear on a number of occasions the unacceptability of outside intervention in Bosnia. Serbia is already subject to wide-ranging economic sanctions. The European Union has put Croatia on notice of possible measures against it, if its involvement continues.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 8 February,Official Report, column 122, on arms sales to Indonesia, whether the principle that sovereign states have a right to defend themselves applies equally to Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggArticle 51 of the UN charter recognises the right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the United Nations Security Council has taken measures necessary to monitor international peace and security. United Nations Security Council resolution 713 imposed a mandatory arms embargo on all the former Yugoslav republics. We share the view of the United Nations, the co-chairmen and the majority of members of the Security Council that to lift the arms embargo at this stage would be a mistake.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the military situation and condition of the civilian population in and around Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina; whether this was discussed at the NATO708W meeting on 8 February; and if the possibility of air-strikes against either Croat or Muslim forces in the area has been contemplated.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryEastern Mostar is a Bosnian Muslim enclave, which has come under continuous shelling by the Bosnian Croats. The humanitarian situation remains of profound concern. Aid convoys are getting through under escort from the Spanish battalion of UNPROFOR. After a long delay a mobile hospital donated by the South Africans was recently delivered.
Mostar was not discussed specifically at the NATO meeting on 8 February. But the NATO decisions of last August, reaffirmed at the 10–11 January summit, stated the alliance's readiness to conduct air strikes, with the approval of the UN Secretary-General, to prevent the strangulation of Sarajevo and other areas. The situation in Mostar is under constant review.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation took place with the Ukraine, and other non-NATO states, before the decision of NATO on 9 February to contemplate air strikes against Bosnian-Serb forces was taken; and whether such forces will be under NATO orders should such air strikes take place.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryNo consultation took place with Ukraine immediately before the 9 February NATO decision. However, the action contemplated is consistent with the existing UN mandate. The UN Secretary-General or his delegated representative must authorise the first use of air power, and UNPROFOR commanders must be closely consulted.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what were the contents of the UNPROFOR report concerning the artillery attack on the Sarajevo market on Saturday 5 February; what were the contents of subsequent reports on the incident; and what progress has been made to establish responsibility for the incident;
(2) whether the site or sites from which the artillery attack on Sarajevo market took place on Saturday 5 February was one which had previously been inspected by or monitored by United Nations observers; what was the position of the nearest United Nations observer team at the time of the incident; and what report was filed by observers on the ground.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Nations Secretary-General has informed the Security Council that the massacre at Sarajevo market on 5 February resulted from the detonation of a single 120 mm mortar shell, and not an artillery attack. The site from which the mortar was fired has not been determined. UNPROFOR has been able to establish only a broad area straddling the line of confrontation.
Reports by United Nations military observers are not made available outside the UNPROFOR military chain of command. We do not have available information on the day-to-day deployments of United Nations military observers.
The special representative of the Secretary-General, Yasushi Akashi, announced on 11 February that he has decided to establish an investigative team to look into the details of the tragic incident. The five-member team will consist of military officers from UNPROFOR with 709W appropriate technical expertise. The team will be led by the UNPROFOR force engineer, Colonel Gauthier of Canada, and include officers from France, Spain, Pakistan and Russia. The investigative team will report its findings to the special representative as soon as possible.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has in respect of the present situation in the area in and around Bihac in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if he is able to assess the state of relations between the Bosnian Muslim authorities there and(a) the Bosnian Government of President Izetbegovic, (b) the Bosnian Serbs and (c) the Bosnian Croats.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggWe remain concerned about the security situation in the Bihac pocket. It is clear from recent reports that intra-Muslim tension remains high, and that the Bosnian Serbs have resumed artillery attacks on Bosnian Muslim forces. We have seen nothing to suggest that there is any fighting involving the Bosnian Croats in this area.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any of the warring factions in Bosnia-Herzegovina have proposed any investigating commission being set up to establish responsibility for the artillery attack on the Sarajevo market on Saturday 5 February; and what offers of co-operation in such an investigation have been made by(a) the Bosnian Serbs and (b) the Bosnian Muslims.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Nations Secretary General's special representative, Mr. Akashi, has now announced the establishment of such a commission. This will require the full co-operation of both the Bosnian Serbs and the Bosnian Government.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support any Russian request for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to debate the continuing conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Nations Security Council discussed the situation in Bosnia on 14 February.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what precautions were discussed at the NATO meeting on 8 February to ensure that Bosnian-Muslim forces do not enter demilitarised zones vacated by the Bosnian-Serb army; if the use of force to prevent this from happening was agreed; and what action would be taken in the event of Bosnian-Serbs repelling such advances by force.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryThe aim of the NATO decision of 9 February was to enforce, together with UNPROFOR, an end to the bombardment of Sarajevo. To this end, the alliance called on the Bosnian Government to place heavy weapons, located within the exclusion zone 20 km around Sarajevo, under United Nations control. NATO did not, however, demand full demilitarisation of the city. UNPROFOR monitors have been positioned at all key and sensitive points within both Muslim and Serb-held areas, and the ceasefire negotiated by UNPROFOR has been generally respected so far.
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§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a copy of each report from UNPROFOR on the conflict in the former Yugoslavia in the Library.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggCopies of the reports of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Security Council on the situation in the former Yugoslavia pursuant to Security Council resolutions are already placed in the Library of the House. The United Nations Secretary-General's reports take into account the views of his special representative who is head of mission for UNPROFOR.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Bosnian-Muslim forces have been put on notice of air strikes against their positions in the event of any use of artillery by Muslim forces.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe NATO decision of 9 February applies to all parties involved in the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Any heavy weapons identified by the United Nations as attacking civilians in Sarajevo, or, if within 20 km of the centre of Sarajevo, not under UN control by midnight on 20 February, will be subject to air strikes. We welcome the assurances given by the Bosnian Prime Minister, Mr Silajdzic, that his Government are ready to comply with the NATO decision.