334 Chapter 3
and Vitez Bosnia-Hercegovina, and Muslim forces attacked Croatian villages around
Busovaca, forcing Croatian military to retreat. Fighting continued, but on June 15, the
parties signed a ceasefire that was quickly violated. On June 26, Serbia and Croatia
agreed to divide Bosnia into three ethnic states within a confederation, the “Union of
Three Republics.” Over time this framework replaced former US Secretary of State
Vance’s 10-province solution. Although Izetbegovic, the president of Bosnia, at first
rejected the plan, he changed his mind by the end of July. By that time Muslim forces
had suffered a number of setbacks on the battlefield, including the capture of Fojnica
on July 16 (where Croatians accused the Muslim forces of targeting fleeing civilians).
They also attacked Vitez with mortars and engaged in heavy fighting around Brcko.
However, even though Izetbegovic agreed in principle to the Three Republics solu-
tion, he noted that “the hardest part of the job remains. Everything we have reached
so far will be worthless if there is no agreement on the maps.”
Karadzic, leader of the Bosnian Serbs, controlled more than 70 percent of Bosnia-
Hercegovina; he offered 25 percent to the Bosnian Muslims, who made up 40 percent
of the population. No additional formal talks took place until August 16 because Izet-
begovic refused to meet while the Serbs held strategic positions overlooking Sarajevo.
By the end of the month Bosnian Muslims were rejecting the territorial splits being
proposed to them.
On August 20, the talks broke for 10 days so participants could go back to their
sides to discuss the proposals. Now the Bosnian Muslims were being offered 30
percent of the territory, which included waterfront access. Serbs, who made up 31
percent of the population, would get over half the territory, and Croats, who made up
17 percent of the population, would get 17.5 percent of the land. The proposal called
for UN peacekeepers. Bosnia-Hercegovina agreed to the proposal conditionally. On
August 31, the parties met again, signed a ceasefire, and agreed to establish hotlines.
The ceasefire lasted less than a day, but the disputants continued negotiations. In
the second half of September Bosnia and Croatia agreed that the future Bosnian state
would have access to the sea at Neum. Meanwhile fighting continued. Muslim forces
launched an attack on Mostar, severing Croatian communication lines, and they
pushed the HVO back elsewhere. Within a few days the Bosnian Muslims claimed to
have control of a breakaway region in northwest Bosnia. November saw increasing
pressure on Izetbegovic. On November 19, British foreign minister Hurd suggested
Western aid to the Bosnian Muslims might end soon, and on November 25, Owen
suggested the United Nations would pull its troops if the Bosnian Muslims were too
inflexible.
The leaders met once again on November 29 with foreign ministers from the Euro-
pean Union and special envoys from the United States and Russia. Izetbegovic wanted
guaranteed access to the Adriatic Sea. Also, in exchange for dropping his demand that
the Union of Three Republics be demilitarized, he wanted NATO to guarantee the
borders for five years. Negotiations continued into the new year. On February 5, 1994,
a mortar hit Sarajevo’s main market, killing dozens of civilians, and on the 23rd the
parties signed a ceasefire. President Clinton then hosted the Croat and Bosnian lead-
ers from February 26. The disputants signed the Washington Agreement on March 1,
1994, ending the dispute.
Coding changes: End Date changed from March 2, 1994.