Vance Reportedly Makes Gains on Peacekeepers for Croatia

U.N. envoy Cyrus R. Vance on Sunday met again with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, and he reportedly made some progress on how U.N. peacekeepers would be deployed if they are sent to war-torn Croatia.

However, continuing cease-fire violations mean that no peacekeepers will be deployed immediately, U.N. sources said.

Fighting subsided across Croatia after a heavy overnight attack on the Croatian stronghold of Osijek and nearby towns at the eastern end of the secessionist republic. A local cease-fire appeared to be holding at Dubrovnik, two days after heavy shelling by the Serbian-dominated army on the historic port.

The Yugoslav news agency Tanjug quoted Croatian Radio as saying seven people were killed in attacks on Osijek on Saturday, and local officials said Sunday that one Croatian militiaman was killed overnight and two were wounded.

Vance met with Milosevic in Belgrade, capital of Yugoslavia and of Serbia. It was Vance’s third meeting with the Serbian leader during his tour of Yugoslavia.

The U.N. envoy is trying to ensure that all fighting will stop so peacekeepers can be brought in. He is also working out where the U.N. forces would go.

“An accord has not yet been reached,” Tanjug quoted Vance as saying after the meeting. “We discussed a plan to enable a peace operation to take place,” he was quoted as saying, adding, “I believe we have made some progress.”

However, the U.N. sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a plan on the manner of future deployment has the “substantial agreement of all parties.” Peacekeepers would be stationed at trouble spots rather than along a demarcation line, they said.

Serbia has insisted that the peacekeeping forces be posted inside Croatia separating the Croats and the army and allied Serb insurgents. Croatia wants them stationed along its pre-civil war borders with Serbia.

Vance is to return to New York today to meet with U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar.