THE BASIC AGREEMENT REGARDING THE AREA OF EASTERN SLAVONIA , BARANJA AND WESTERN SYRMIA (THE ERDUT AGREEMENT) AND THE CONDITIONS FOR ITS ENFORCEMENT

Nakon vojno-redarstvenih operacija “Bljesak” i “Oluja”, stvaranjem novih geopolitičkih odnosa, srbijansko vodstvo bilo je svjesno da istočna Slavonija, Baranja i zapadni Srijem neće moći ostati pod srpskom okupacijom. Porazom srpskih snaga u Hrvatskoj i zajedničkim operacijama hrvatskih snaga i Armije Bosne i Hercegovine, koje su dovele snage srpske vojske u Bosni i Hercegovini pred slom, otvoren je put političkim pregovorima. Pitanje reintegracije preostaloga okupiranog područja pod ingerencijom Ujedinjenih naroda u sastav Hrvatske dobilo je novo značenje u ključnim političkim pregovorima krajem 1995., budući da je ishod mirovnoga procesa u hrvatskom Podunavlju bio osnova za mir i političku stabilnost na širem području ovoga dijela Europe.After the Croatian military operations “the Flash“ and “the Storm“ and the creation of the new geopolitical relationships, Serbian leadership became aware that the areas of Western Slavonia, Baranja and Eastern Syrmia would not remain under Serbian occupation. Following the defeat of the Serbian forces in Croatia and the joint military operations of the Croatian armed forces and the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which practically destroyed the Serbian armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the road towards political negotiations was opened. The matter of reintegration of the occupied areas under the jurisdiction of the UN into the state organization of the Republic of Croatia gained the new importance during the key political negotiations in late 1995. Despite the readiness of the Croatian army and the strong opposition of the Croatian public, displaced persons in particular, to the proposition that the occupied sections of the Eastern Slavonia and Vukovar, a symbol of defence and the suffering of Croatia in the Homeland War, be returned to Croatia using military force, Croatian leadership decided to negotiate with the rebellious Serbs. During the many months of negotiations between the Croatian leadership and the leadership of the rebellious Serbs, attempts were made at finding a way to peacefully resolve the issue of the remaining occupied territory. This made the signing of the Treaty on the peaceful and gradual transition of that area under the Croatian jurisdiction possible. The Croatian government and the Serb leadership signed the Basic Agreement regarding the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (the Erdut Agreement) on November the 12th, 1995 in Erdut and in Zagreb. The Agreement allowed for the stability to return to the area which was previously destroyed in military operations, scarred by human suffering, forced migrations and general social and economic decline. It was expected that the peace process, which was started by the signing of the Basic Agreement, would be continued through the UN Security Council’s Resolution, which was supposed to confirm the mandate of the new Peace Corps and to start the enforcement of the Agreement itself. The realization of the peace agreement began with the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1037 from January the 15th, 1996