YUGOSLAVIA EVENTS CHRONOLOGY, 1989-1991 March 28-29, 1989 21 killed in Kosovan rioting May 17 - Milan Pancevski (Macedonia) new head of League of Communists of Yugoslavia (LCY), replaces Stipe Suvar Sept. 12 - Politburo member Ivan Brigic supports repeal of leading role of LCY Sept. 27 - Slovenian parliament passes constitutional amendment allowing Slovenia to secede; Slovenian action prompts 50,000 to protest in Titograd Nov. 28 - Slovenia prevents Serbian demonstration against Slovenian leadership Nov. 29 - Serbia urges republics to sever ties to Slovenia December 13 - Communist Party of Croatia endorses multi-party elections Dec. 18 - National austerity program proposed to combat 2000% inflation January 23-28, 1990 - Six days of rioting in Kosovo Jan. 30 - 2 die in Kosovan rioting Jan. 31 - Kosovan death toll up to 16; 100,000 Montenegrins demonstrate against Albanians Feb. 1 - 6 more killed in Kosovo; death toll at 30 Feb. 5 - Slobodan Milosevic, Serbian president, threatens to send 100,000s of Serbs to Kosovo Feb. 7 - Federal govt. steps up army presence in Kosovo Feb. 16 - Croatian CP decides to leave LCY March 15 - Serbian govt. offers economic aid to Slavs wanting to resettle in Kosovo April 11 - Center-right coalition called Demos gains 55% in Slovenian parliamentary elections, collective presidency race goes to a runoff April 22 - Slovenian run-offs give presidency to communist Milan Kucan (59% of vote) April 25 - Voting in Croatia gives victory to center-right group Croatian Democratic Association (wins 104 of 131 seats in parl.) May 6 - Second round of voting in Croatia gives Party for Democratic Reform (formerly CP) only 13 seats in parliament May 8 - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) headed by Franjo Tudjman wins 2/3rds of 80 seat main chamber of Republican Parliament; also gets 2/3rds of 116 member Chamber of Communes July __ - Slovenian parl. votes in favor of sovereignty for republic; Slovenian members of Federal Parliament refuse to cast votes on federal matters in one of two chambers July 2 - Albanians in Kosovo Parliament declares Kosovo sovereign within Yugoslavia July 5 - Serbian Parliament suspends local control in Kosovo Aug. 29 - Riot police break up Albanian crown waiting to meet US Congressional delegation Sept. 3 - 100,000 Albanians go on strike in Kosovo Sept. 13 - 111 Albanian members of dissolved Kosovo parliament meet secretly to adopt alternative constitution; 2 Albanians shot by police during weapons search in Palatna, Kosovo Oct. 1 - Serbs in Croatia, led by Milan Babic, head of local Serbian National Council, declare their counties autonomous Nov. 11 - Elections held in Macedonia Nov. 15 - Macedonian officials declare vote null and void in 54 counties due to irregularities; 25,000 Macedonians protest in Skopje against Albanians; Prime Minister Markovic warns country is headed toward disintegration Nov. 18 - Bosnia-Herzegovina holds first multi-party elections Dec. 21 - Croatian parl. adopts new constitution Dec. 23 - Slovenian elections for independence held; in Serbia, former Socialist Party (formerly CP) wins 194 of 250 seats in parl. January , 1991 - State presidency and army issue warning to Slovenia and Croatia to disarm their militias by Jan. 19 Jan. 19 - Slovenia and Croatia defy disarmament warning; state presidency extends dead-line until Jan. 21 Jan. 21 - Federal collective presidency says that republican militias are not exempt from disarming; warns that military will confiscate weapons from 'illegal' paramilitary organizations (including Interior Ministry troops) Jan. 22 - Collective pres. says there will be no military action against Croatia and Slovenia Jan. 23 - Defense Ministry initiates legal proceedings in military courts against individuals organizing 'illegal' armed groups Jan. 24 - Federal and republican troops put on battle alert Jan. 25 - Croatia's interior minister says they will welcome foreign help if attacked by JNA Jan. 26 - Croatian pres. Tudjman says Croatian police reserve will be disarmed; army guarantees it will not act against the republic Jan. 27 - Tudjman says crisis and war narrowly averted Jan. 30 - Yugo. military orders Croatian Def. Min., Martin Spegelj, to be detained for questioning about plotting to use arms to launch a civil war; Croatia does not comply Jan. 31 - Tudjman leaves meeting of leaders in Belgrade over dispute of military's commitment to defend communism and the federal system Feb. 2 - Army says Croatia reneges on pledge to disarm police reserves and arrest Spegelj, says it will carry out its constitutional duties Feb. 8 - Slovenia announces legal steps to secede from Yugo.; Slovenian and Croatian presidents boycott third round of talks in Belgrade aimed at resolving Yugoslavia's crisis Feb. 20 - Slovenian parl. votes 173-1 (2 abstentions) to begin formal secession; constitutional amendment adopted declaring republican laws sovereign to fed. laws Feb. 21 - Croatia follows suit voting 340-0 to make republican laws sovereign over fed. laws; resolution also formally approved to begin secession proceedings Feb. 22 - Fed. presidency decided to appoint committee to examine differing attitudes to survival of Yugo. Feb. 27 - Bosnian parl. deadlocked over sovereignty decree, Bosnian Serbs claim proposal of Muslim Party for Democratic Action will break up state March 1 - Tudjman boycotts 6th round of talks aimed at resolving secessionist crisis; Serbs in Croatian town of Pakrac seize local police station March 2 - Croatian security forces storm police station in Pakrac; at least 30 arrested, some gunfire exchanged; Yugo. pres., Borisav Jovic, deploys fed troops in Pakrac; troops welcomed by Croatian dep. interior minister, Milan Brezak March 3 - 700 Croatian security troops withdrawn from Pakrac; fed. army to stay on to prevent recurrence of unrest March 8 - Serbia cuts school funding to Kosovo as Kosovan schools refuse to utilize new Serbian restrictions on teaching Albanian history and literature March 9 - Rally of 100,000 in Belgrade against communist media bias results in riots; several members of dem. opposition arrested; fed. tanks and troops used to quell unrest which leaves 2 dead; some opposition members of parl. declare hunger strike against govt. March 10 - Protests continue in Belgrade for 2nd day; at least 15 opposition leaders/party members arrested by Serbian govt. March 11 - Tens of thousands of anti-govt. protestors gather again in Terazije Square in Belgrade; govt. organizes counter demonstration of between 30-50,000 in Nove Beograd March 12 - 100,000 demonstrate in Belgrade; govt. gives in to some demands and dismisses 5 directors of Belgrade TV who demonstrators hold responsible for propagandistic reporting; Vuk Draskovic of the Serbian Renewal Movement, released from prison, addresses crowd in Republic Square; parl. passes legislation requiring state TV to be guided by professional principles rather than political interests; JNA requests that fed. presidency meet to discuss the country's security situation, and restore law and order; presidency rejects military's demands March 13 - Interior Minister, Radmilo Bogdanovic, offers to resign to satisfy Belgrade protestors; 25,000 gather again in Republic Square March 14 - Collective presidency deadlocks on role to be played by army in latest strife March 15 - Serbian member of collective presidency, and current pres. of that body, Borisav Jovic, resigns from it; Jovic, a Milosevic ally, had proposed that 1) the army be allowed to put down interethnic conflicts; 2) a mobilization be called; and 3) republican laws contradicting federal laws be declared invalid; presidency votes 5-3 against these (Macedonian pres., Vasil Turpurkovski, Kosovan pres., Riza Sapunxhia, BH pres., Bogic Bogicevic, Slovenian pres., Milan Kucan, and Croatian pres., Tudjman all vote against) March 16 - Army threats to take emergency measures to deal with crisis are met by Croatian and Serbian mobilization of police and paramilitary troops; Milosevic declares that Serbia will no longer recognize the authority of the collective presidency; Montenegrin and Vojvodinian presidents also resign from coll. pres. (possibly at Milosevic request); Sapunxhia dismissed from his post by Milosevic thereby depriving pres. of a quorum March 17 - Krajina region of Croatia declared a Serbian autonomous region by activist Serbs living there; Milosevic said to be behind move to provoke Croats against Serbs and convince army to move in March 19 - Army high command says it will not interfere in internal political crisis, but will protect against inter-ethnic civil war, halt unrest, protect borders, and prevent any republic from leaving the federation unless all others agree March 20 - Serbia's Jovic withdraws his resignation after the Serbian parl. refuses to accept it March 21 - Fed. presidency orders talks to resume between leaders of the republics March 25 - Milosevic and Tudjman meet on the border of their republics and agree to peacefully settle disputes March 27 - Tens of thousands gather in Belgrade's Republic Square to commemorate 50th anniversary of coup that overthrew pro-Nazi govt., and to denounce communist authorities March 31 - Gun battles break out in Plitvice national park in Croatia when armed Serbs attempt to seize the park; 2 killed in gun battle (1 Croatian policeman, 1 Serb) April 1 - Serbs in Krajina region of Croatia declare that they are uniting their area with Serbia April 16 - 700,000 workers in Serbia go on strike for back pay; 400 striking mechanics of JAT keep the airline from flying May 2 - Croatian police are ambushed in predominantly Serbian town of Borovo Selo; at least 12 people killed before Yugoslav army intervenes May 6 - 30,000 Croatian anti-military protestors attack Yugoslav troops guarding naval port in Split over military's inability to break blockade of Croatian town of Kijevo; 1 soldier killed; Fed. Def. Min., Gen. Veljko Kadijevic, declares combat alert and says country is in a state of civil war; $5 million of US aid to Yugo. suspended due to systematic human rights abuses; $1.1 billion loan from IMF could be suspended as well May 7 - Demonstrators in Macedonia and BH demand their military service be restricted to their own republics May 9 - Army given permission by fed. pres. to halt ethnic violence May 11 - Fed. PM Markovic tells Serbs and Croats to surrender their weapons or have them taken from them May 12 - Serbian enclaves in Croatia vote to unite themselves with Serbia May 15 - Serbia blocks rotation of fed. pres. to Croatian, Stipe Mesic, provoking fed. govtal. crisis May 18 - Def. Min. Kadijevic warns neighboring countries (Italy and Bulgaria) against taking advantage of Yugoslavia's continuing governing crisis May 19 - Croats voting in sovereignty referendum overwhelmingly support independence for republic, and right to form alliances with other republics May 29 - Tudjman declares Croatia is an independent state June 21 - US Sec. of State Baker, in Yugoslavia, reaches impasse with Yugo. leaders over future of the country June 22 - Tudjman and Slovenian pres. Kucan meet to coordinate independence moves June 24 - European Community and CSCE declare they are in favor of the 'unity and territorial integrity' of Yugoslavia, and that they will not support either Slovenian or Croatian independence June 25 - Croatian Sabor (parl.) preempts Slovenian Parliament by declaring independence, Slovenian parl. follows suit later that evening; both republics declare they are willing to continue negotiations with but favor a confederal solution June 26 - International border posts in Slovenia occupied by Slovene militia, Yugo. army (JNA) troops move up to dislodge them and Slovenes block highways to prevent JNA movements; Serb paramilitary force Marticevci (named for Milan Martic, Krajina Serb Int. Min.) launch early morning attack on Croat police station in Glina (35 miles from Zagreb), Croat policeman, 2 civilians killed, Yugo. army (JNA) intervenes effectively establishing Serb-held territories; US declares it will ignore 'unilateral' declarations of independence by both republics June 27 - Yugo. army breaks through blockades in Slovenia; Slovenian Def. Min., Janez Jansa, reports skirmishes that have killed or wounded 100 people; claims his forces have shot down 6 army helicopters; Austria sends 5,000 troops to border crossings w/ Slovenia June 29 - Cease-fire brokered by 3 EC foreign ministers (Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands); terms include exchange of prisoners, lifting of blockades, and suspension of the declaration of independence for 3 months; JNA says Slovenia not obeying terms and should surrender control of border posts June 30 - Agreement reached between Slovenia and Yugoslavia's Markovic for the return of JNA to its barracks; JNA barracks in Slovenia surrounded by militia forces; At least 3 die in Ljubljana in shooting incidents on Saturday night; German For. Min., Hans-Dietrich Genscher, announces he will go to Yugo. as part of CSCE crisis negotiating team on July 1 July 1 - Stipe Mesic finally installed as new pres. of Yugo. collective presidency; JNA high command accuses Slovenia of harassing army units in their barracks; German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, threatens Yugo. with loss of aid if troops are sent into Slovenia and Croatia again; CDU chairman, Volker Ruhe, urges Germany, other EC countries to recognize republics' independence July 2 - New fighting breaks out between fed. army and Slovenian troops, 25 reported killed; JNA has vowed to destroy Slovenian ind.; Army Chief of Staff, Blagoje Adzic, says a truce is no longer possible; JNA troops fire on crowd in Zagreb who are trying to stop a tank convoy from leaving its barracks (3 killed, 7 wounded); US admin. continues to hold to position that unilateral declarations of ind. are not to be rewarded July 3 - Convoys of fed. troops head for Slovenia and Croatia, but stop far short of the borders; JNA troops told not to fire unless fired upon July 4 - 3rd truce in effect; fed. troops ordered to their barrack while Slovenes haul off captured tanks; Serbia supposedly no longer opposed to Slovenian ind., if it is achieved peacefully; Croatia not included in this plan; CSCE waits to hear if Yugo. and Slovenia will accept their monitors for cease fire July 5 - EC bans all arms shipments, and suspends $900 million in aid, to Yugo.; Slovenia begins releasing hundreds of Yugo. army prisoners captured in fighting; Yugo. Pres. Stipe Mesic says army will not intervene July 6 - Truce talks break down over control of Slovenia's intl. border crossings; Milosevic tells Serbs to prepare for war, as pressure intensifies between Serbia and Croatia July 8 - Agreement reached between Slovenes and fed. govt. in Brioni (negotiated by 3 EC foreign ministers [FMs]), agreement calls for immediate cease fire, pull-back of JNA troops to bases, and Yugo. pres. to be in control of army; Slovenes to staff border posts on behalf of fed. govt., and will put off ind. for 3 months; Soviet leader Gorbachev tells Yugos. they should use democratic means to achieve peaceful solution, but that he supports the 'unity and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia'; Croatian artillery used for first time against Serb militants inside Croatia (7 dead); Slovenia announces it is withdrawing its deputies from Yugo. parl. July 10 - Slovenian parl. ratifies peace agreement, 189-11; Yugoslav and Albanian border guards exchange gunfire July 11 - Fighting spreads to Osijek, on border with Vojvodina; 2 killed July 14 - Fighting breaks out in Banija region of Croatia (s. of Zagreb); at least 2 killed July 22 - 20 killed in fighting between Serbs and Croats in E. Croatia July 23 - 2 Croatian policemen killed in fighting near village of Palaca (E Croatia) July 25 - Fighting between Croats and fed. troops kills 18 militiamen and 1 army soldier July 26 - 24 more die according to TANJUG; fed. pres. fails to come up with solution during meeting July 27 - 10 killed in town of Glina (s of Zag.); Yugo. air force jet fires on Croatian forces in town of Ilok (e. Croatia) July 28 - Fed. PM Markovic calls for EC for. mins. to return to Yugo.; threatens to resign if his proposals are not accepted by warring factions July 29 - EC FMs say they will travel to Yugo. to help negotiate peace July 30 - Serbs in Krajina region refuse to allow EC ministers in unless they are invited by Krajina govt.; EC says it will send 200 observers and 300 support personnel to monitor conflict if an agreement can be worked out; 1 killed, 6 wounded by Yugo. air force attack on village of Majur; 2 youths shot by Croatian police in southern Croatian town of Imotski Aug. 1 - Tudjman dismisses def. min. due to poor showing of Croatian def. forces; Yugo. airplanes bomb targets around Erdut and Dalj Aug. 4 - EC ministers blame Serbia for breakdown in peace talks; Leader of Serbian Renewal Movement's militia (Serbian Guard), Branislav Metic, assassinated in Belgrade Aug. 6 - EC for. mins. call on CSCE to support cease-fire efforts; cease-fire agreed upon by Yugo. factions Aug. 9 - Serbia proposes redrawing ethnic and territorial lines in new Yugo.; CSCE meeting in Prague urges an end to fighting and creation of a peace accord Aug. 10 - Small prisoner exchange occurs between JNA and Croats Aug. 11 - Cease fire comes apart as several killed in renewed fighting Aug. 14 - Fed. pres. agrees to begin negotiation within a week to resolve fed. crisis Aug. 16 - Truce effectively dead with renewed fighting Aug. 17 - Pope John Paul II says Croats have legitimate aspirations during mass held in Pecs, Hungary; fighting renewed as Croatian forces blow up bridge over the Sava River and fed. troops bomb Croatian positions Aug. 18 - Fed. troops reinforce positions inside Croatia Aug. 19 - Fighting around Pakrac and Okucani Aug. 23 - Truce officially proclaimed broken as Serb and Croat militias call for general mobilization of their populations Aug. 25 - Fed. troops cause heavy Croatian losses in fighting around Vukovar (eastern Croatia on border with Serbia); at least 18 reported dead Aug. 26 - 7 more killed in fighting; Austria apparently ready to recognize Croatian ind.; Italy also threatens Serbia with this unless fighting is stopped Aug. 31 - Serbs says they will accept EC monitors of fighting; Yugo. jets force down Ugandan and Romanian planes at Zag. airport and accuse them of arms smuggling Sept. 2 - Yugo. groups agree to EC-sponsored cease-fire and monitoring of cease-fire; fighting in Petrinja Sept. 3 - EC to hold peace conference on Yugo. with Lord Carrington to act as chief mediator; CSCE officials to be invited to 'provide broad support' (Genscher statement) Sept. 4 - Renewed fighting in Slavonia; Serbs cut highway to Okucani (75 miles S of Zag.) and move to cut off Osijek; approximately 20 dead in this area; Genscher again warns Yugo. that Germany may recognize Slovenia and Croatia unless fighting stops Sept. 5 - Yugo. army says EC can send observers; heavy fighting with tanks, planes, and gunboats around Vukovar; 13 more killed since Wednesday; EC officials believe Croats may be provoking attacks on army so as to gain German recognition Sept. 6 - Fighting in Glina (S of Zag.); Dalmatia reported quiet as Serbs agree to truce along with fed. army and Croats Sept. 8 - Macedonians go to polls on issue of independence Sept. 9 - EC monitors arrive amid renewed battles; fighting in Kostajnica (near Bosnia) and Pakrac (in Slavonia) where 10 have been killed since hundreds of Croatian militiamen were ambushed by Serbs; Serbs cut Belgrade-Zagreb highway near Okucani; Serb leader in Krajina, Milan Martic, detained by police in Bosnia for posing threat of spreading hostilities to this region; Early returns in Macedonian voting show overwhelming support for independence; leaders say they want loose confederation rather than total autonomy; Yugo. soldiers in firefight with Albanian border guards kill 5 Albanians Sept. 10 - Serb leaders in Krajina sign EC-sponsored truce; 95% of voters in Macedonia supported independence in Sunday balloting; fighting in Slavonia leaves 15 dead; 15,000-20,000 Albanian demonstrators in Pristina dispersed by police Sept. 12 - Yugo. def. min. rejects Pres. Stipe Mesic's call for JNA forces to pull out of Croatia; Kostajnica falls to Serb forces; 12 Croats killed in fighting, while 11 people killed in other parts of Croatia Sept. 15 - Air raid sirens go off in Zag. for first time since WWII; Croatian forces begin blockades of fed. troops throughout the republic resulting in JNA retaliations and 26 killed; Croats claim to have captured hundreds of fed. troops Sept. 16 - Yugo. jet shot down near Hungarian border in fighting near Osijek; 3 jets crossed into Hungarian airspace; Osijek's hospital shelled by fed. troops; air raid sirens again sounded in Zag.; fighting in Otocec, Okucani, Vukovar; partial mobilization ordered in Vojvodina Sept. 20 - JNA begins massive offensive to relieve army barracks surrounded by Croats Sept. 22 - Croats offer to halt blockade in exchange for end of offensive, but JNA refuses; Petrinja (30 miles S of Zag.) lost to JNA/Serb militias; Serb militia units in hills along Dalmatian coast and JNA is maintaining a naval blockade; intense fighting in Zag. around army barracks; 4 killed in Bosnia Sept. 23 - Cease-fire takes hold while both sides regroup; fed. troops have fled Varazdin leaving behind 50 tanks, 60 armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and anti-aircraft guns which are being redistributed to Croatian forces, especially around Vukovar; tanks, mortar fire in Vukovar for 90 minutes; continued fighting around Okucani and Nova Gradiska, as well as coastal town of Sibenik; 9-day blackout in Zag. ends; shells fired on Monday evening at Vinkovci; Vice-pres. of ultra-nationalist Croatian group, Croatian Party of Rights, Ante Paradzik, is killed by Croatian police outside of Zagreb Sept. 24 - Milosevic tells BBC that Croatia may be allowed to secede but only if Serbian parts are kept inside Yugo.; battles between Croats and Serbs in west-central town of Medak (near Gospic) where Croats are trying to regain territory; shelling of Vinkovci by fed. troops to break Croat blockade of garrison there; Split bombarded; army armored column in Tovarnik (near Vukovar) stopped by Croatians Sept. 25 - UN makes arms embargo against Yugo. worldwide with unanimous Sec. Council vote; US Sec. of State Baker accuses fed. military of 'unacceptable aggression' against Croatia Sept. 26 - Fighting continues despite cease-fire agreement; 9 more dead; Kosovans begin voting on ind. ref. even though Serb authorities say they will prevent the vote Sept. 27 - Serbian police arrest Kosovan leaders and interfere in ind. ref.; Croatian plane carrying EC observers is fired on by Croatian anti-aircraft missile (Croatia later apologizes) Sept. 29 - Several army barracks abandoned by fed. troops; fighting in Vinkovci-Vukovar area, also in Bjelovar (40 miles E of Zag.); troops appear ready to leave some barracks in Zag.; artillery bombardments of Nova Gradiska Sept. 30 - Clashes in Sisak (30 miles S of Zag.); army begins new offensive due to surrender of 400-troop force in Bjelovar, trying to prevent redeployment by Croats of 130 captured armored vehicles; JNA command announces that it will destroy a vital facility in each town where a garrison or army facility is attacked Oct. 1 - Dubrovnik surrounded; Montenegrin army reservists overrun Croatian position south of Dubrovnik Oct. 3 - Serbia announces that it and its allies are taking over the fed. parl.; Croat troops retreating from Banija area; fed. troops within 20 miles of Zag.; navy warships close off Dubrovnik, bombardment of hills above coastal city start forest fires Oct. 4 - Zag. blacked out while Dubrovnik cut off from rest of Croatia; Serbia orders partial mobilizaion; Serbian pres. member Borisav Jovic, says fed. govt. now under control of Serbian republic and its allies; fed. army agrees at the Hague to halt assault on Croatia if blockade against garrisons are lifted; Dubrovnik airport and Adriatic Highway are bombed; TV tower 5 miles outside of Zag. hit by fed. jets; Sisak, Karlovac, and Vukovar all under attack Oct. 5 - Tudjman urges all Croatians to 'fulfill their sacred duty' and join in defending the republic; roadblocks erected in Zag.; Serbia also calls for full mobilization; TV tower outside Zag. hit again by jets; Croatian forces fight off attacks around Dubrovnik; phosphorous bombs dropped by fed. forces cause continuous fires to burn out of control Oct. 6 - Croats capture fed. barracks at Samobor (10 miles W of Zag.), but also abandon village of Jasenovac, site of WWII Ustasha death camp Oct. 7 - Fed. jets attack Croatian pres. palace; Tudjman, Mesic, and fed. PM Markovic (also a Croat) uninjured; Yugo. military denies ordering the attack and blames it on the Croats; US consulate in Zag. urges all Americans to leave the republic; Gorbachev urges a cessation to the fighting; Tudjman urges US to send Sixth Fleet into the Adriatic; village 10 miles s. of Zag. attacked; fighting continues in Karlovac, Vukovar, and Borovo Naselje; Yugo. commander in Croatia, Gen. Andrija Raseta, says that 'talking is no longer a possibility'; Slovenia says all fed. forces must leave the republic by Oct. 18 or they will be treated as members of a foreign army Oct. 8 - Raseta meets with Imre Agotic, head of the Croatian National Guard, after Tudjman gives Raseta a safe conduct promise out of fed. army's blockaded garrison; new cease-fire takes hold despite Raseta's claim that Croats break it twice; EC intervention necessary to get Tudjman and fed. Min. of Def. Kadijevic to agree to cease-fire; Croatia to lift blockades within 24 hours, while fed. navy to lift blockade of Dalmatian coast; Croatian parl. votes for definitive separation from Yugo.; US consulate evacuated to Ljubljana; all-clear siren sounds in Dubrovnik for first time in 3 days; fighting continues in Osijek, Vukovar, and Daruvar (40 miles E of Zag.); Slovenes announce the replacement of all Yugo. dinars for new currency, the tolar; Kadijevic bans all political party activity in fed. army, supposedly to prevent unrest and increasing desertions Oct. 10 - Fighting in and around Vukovar and Osijek despite truce; EC negotiators criticize all sides for 'showing lack of good will'; talks in Zag. break down after only 15 minutes Oct. 11 - Federation presidency, now dominated by Serbia, says fed. army will not pull out of Serb-dominated areas of Croatia since this would expose Serbs there to 'physical liquidation'; federal troops begin to lift blockade of Dubrovnik, Zadar, Split, and Pula as Croats remove barricades around army garrison in Zag.; 50-truck, EC-sponsored relief convoy heading to Vukovar is stopped by shelling; Soviet pres. Gorbachev invites Tudj., Milo.to Moscow for talks Oct. 12 - Accord on evacuations reached, but runs into trouble; 2/3rds of fed. army vehicles stopped inside Borongaj barracks in Zag., while Vukovar relief convoy stopped for 3rd time; Heavy over-night fighting around Karlovac causing 5,000 refugees to flee area, many of them to Slovenia; Croats abandon Lipik (60 miles se of Zag.) under army tank and artillery attacks Oct. 14 - Relief convoy again turned back from Vuk. when Croats inside city refuse it entry due to fear of army or rebel infiltration; fighting supposedly still in Lipik, and Otocec Oct. 15 - Bosnia-Hercegovina, on proposal by Muslim Party of Democratic Action, declares sovereignty; resolution states that BH cannot remain in Yugo. without Serbia and Croatia; 133 delegates vote unanimously for it with some abstaining but 73 Serbian delegates walk out of parl. before vote; Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, says Muslims and Croats are leading the state into a hell in which the Muslim people will perhaps vanish, and there is no way for BH to leave Yugo. as the Serbs will prevent both Croats and Muslims from doing so; BH pres., Alija Izetbegovic, says this demonstrates why BH doesn't want to remain in Yugo.; Izetbegovic meets with Kadijevic to get fed. help in preventing formation of paramilitary units in BH; Rocket attacks in Vinkovci and Osijek; other battles in Sisak, Pakrac, and Lipik; Tudjman and Milosevic leave separately for Moscow, hold 3-way meeting w/ Gorbachev; leaders agree to cease-fire Oct. 17 - Army renews attack on Dubrovnik, bombing suburbs and nearby ports; large-scale evacuation of area around Ilok in E. Croatia involving up to 8,000 civilians and militia; militia hand over weapons to Yugo. army before evacuation and promised army protection against Serb militias; air attacks on Zag. and Sisak (30 miles se of Zag.); Croat forces shoot down plane over Osijek; Special UN envoy, Cyrus Vance, arrives in Zag. for talks with Croat leaders; Croat govt. warns fed. army to leave the republic by midnight, Nov. 10, or be considered occupying army (same as Oct. 9 Slovenian declaration) Oct. 18 - 10th EC-brokered truce arranged but Serbia balks at efforts to restructure the fed.; 5 other republics accept Lord Carrington's plan for a loose economic, political, and judicial union, including Slovenia; oil refinery in Sisak set on fire by tank shelling; more fighting in Vukovar; Vinkovci shelled; air force planes attack Pakrac, artillery attack on Nova Gradiska (90 miles SE of Zag.); TANJUG reports more desertions in army ranks as 200 flee front in Slavonia Oct. 19 - 13-vehicle relief convoy gets through to Vukovar; despite truce, shelling continues around Dubrovnik, in Osijek and Nova Gradiska Oct. 20 - Relief convoy escorted out of Vukovar by fed. troops and taken on 70-mile detour through heavily contested areas; 1 truck hits land mine and 2 nurses wounded; convoy arrives behind Croatian lines; Shelling of Vuk. resumes Sunday; also more shelling of villages 18 miles s. of Zag. and n. of Osijek; army blames Croatian militia for fighting around Nova Gradiska and Jasenovac; UN envoy Vance briefs Sec. Gen. Javier Perez de Cuellar, and later states that time is running out Oct. 21 - Vuk. under fire from Serbian mortars across Danube and from south; Dubrovnik battle intensifies with fighting in southern suburbs of Mlini and Plat, fed. army blames Croats for instigating attacks; Serbia states that it is banning an autonomy referendum in Muslim Sanjak region of southern Serbia; Milosevic rejects EC peace proposals for new Yugo. as not taking account of Serb minority's demands Oct. 23 - Fed. gunboats shell heart of historic Dub. for 1st time causing damage to some city monuments (Minceta Tower on city ramparts, old musical school in city center, Revelin fortress at s. gate); city hospital hit; army retreats from Kupari (s. of Dub.) and attacks walled fortress of Dub. in retaliation; EC monitors confirm the attack; naval blockade restored; Fed. planes bomb Jasenovac (40 miles se. of Zag.); Vuk. shelled; Serbia and Montenegro call up reservists Oct. 24 - Fed. army seizes Kupari Oct. 25 - Army again advances on Dub. despite local cease fire demanded by EC observers of area commander, Gen. Raseta; Karlovac under rocket attack; Milosevic rejects EC proposal for demilitarizing Serb-dominated areas of Croatia and giving them limited autonomy; Tudjman calls on world leaders including Pres. Bush to take action against Aputsch-minded top brass; Croat pilot defects to Austria with fed. air force Mig-21; Muslims in Sanjak begin voting on autonomy despite Serb ban on referendum; Serbs in BH form own parl. and announce they will hold ref. on ind. in Nov.; Pres. of Montenegro, Momir Bulatovic, wins parl. approval for accepting EC peace plan, thereby breaking with Serbia; Tudjman says paramilitary forces of extreme- right Croatian Party of Rights must either be merged with Croatian National Guard or be dissolved; Fed. troops storm into walled city area of Dub.; leader of Dub. defenses, Miljenko Bratos, killed by friendly fire in car at checkpoint Oct. 26 - Last of Yugo. troops leaves Slovenia; Vuk. under heavy attack Oct. 27 - EC condemns seige of Dub. by fed. troops and says demand that all defenders surrender their weapons is Aan illegal act clearly aimed at seizure of an indisputably Croatian city; 1,200 who have fled Dub. arrive in Korcula by ferry; fighting continues in Vuk.; artillery and rocket attack on Sinj (150 miles s. of Zag.); Osijek and Vinkovci also attacked; JNA refuses to assist EC officials on their journey from Rijeka to Dub., and they are held up on Korcula; Estimates of 90% of voters turn out for ref. in Sanjak, says Muslim Party of Democratic Action; Yugo. warplane drops cluster bomb on Hungarian border village of Barcs; Serbia's for. min. claims it was an accident Oct. 28 - Germany and Belgium say they will call for EC sanctions against Serbia and the Yugo. govt. due to their obstructionist actions Oct. 29 - Serbian Dep. For. Min., Vladislav Veizovic, says EC-sponsored talks should end; Hungary captures 6 Croats inside Hungary after they flee from battle with fed. troops; bombing attacks on Djakovo (22 miles SW of Osijek); other fighting near Vuk. and Novska Oct. 31 - Relief flotilla of Croatian ships allowed to enter Dub. harbor; Yugo. pres. Mesic (an ethnic Croat), and Croatian Premier, Franjo Greguric, on board along with hundreds of returning residents of Dub. Nov. 1 - Fed. army shells area of Dub. outside of old city walls; also shelling of Osijek and Vinkovci; planes attack Pakrac Nov. 2 - Fighting continues in same locations with more shelling of resort hotels in Dub.; shelling from hills behind walled city cause damage in old town; western part of Vuk. falls to fed. army Nov. 3 - 3 Hungarian ships on Danube near Vuk. fired upon; fed. army continues attack against eastern part of Vukovar Nov. 5 - Serbia rejects EC peace plan despite threat of economic sanctions, but agrees to new truce; Lord Carrington says if this one fails, talks should be indefinitely postponed; Serbs and Montenegrins in peace talks propose that ethnic groups be allowed to decide which republic they will belong to Nov. 7 - Planes bomb 12 Croatian towns Nov. 8 - EC suspends $900 million in aid to Yugo. and requests UN oil embargo and other sanctions; Canada says it will halt preferential tariff treatment and require permits for all exports to Yugo.; Pres. Bush praises sanctions and says US is considering what to do; Fed. navy says it is reimposing naval blockade of Croatian ports; JNA says long-range missiles at fed. bases inside Croatia aimed at Croatian targets; Karlovac shelled; Osijek under rocket attack; Sibenik under fire Nov. 9 - Bush, at NATO summit in Rome, announces sanctions against Yugo., but rejects military intervention as too early; defers to EC for resolution of the crisis Nov. 10 - Heavy shelling of Dub. continues; sniper fire around hotels Argentina and Belvedere where hundreds of refugees are taking shelter; estimates of defenders of Dub. at 1,000 soldiers armed with light weaponry; city now under seige since Oct. 1 Nov. 11 - Fed. gunboats fire on Dub. hitting 17 hotels; EC announces it will withdraw its observers located in Hotel Argentina; Fed. troops begin leaving Rijeka (scheduled to be gone by Dec. 10); Vinkovci under heavy attack; gunfire near Zadar, explosions in Karlovac; Vuk. near collapse as fed. troops near city center Nov. 12 - Shelling around Dub.; fighting in Borovo Naselje (N of Vuk.) Nov. 13 - Temporary cease-fire at 1:00pm around Dub. to allow for evacuation of EC monitors and some citizens; shelling damages parts of Old Town; Lord Carrington speaks with Tudjman in Graz, Austria, and Milosevic in Belgrade on use of UN peace-keeping force Nov. 14 - Lord Carrington says tentative agreement is reached on peace-keeping force; Croats now agree due to steady loss of territory; UN force is to separate factions inside of Croatia instead of on the republic's borders; Hundreds try to leave Dub. on ferry sent to pick up EC monitors; fighting intensifies in Vuk. Nov. 15 - New cease-fire agreed upon (13th) to include Croatians lifting blockade of fed. army barracks in exchange for withdrawal of all fed. troops; fighting near an end in Vuk. as fed. army and Serb forces move toward center of town; over 4,000 women and children cram aboard ferry in Dub. to head for Montenegrin port of Zelenika; doctor and 3 medical assistants killed in Ivano Selo (near Pakrac, 70 miles SE of Zag.) when their ambulance hits a mine; Soviet ship on Danube hit by rocket near Vuk. (2 killed, 3 wounded); gunboats open fire on Split killing 3 crew members of a ferry; Splits in army ranks as some hard-liners reject Def. Min. Kadijevic's desire to withdraw from Croatia; One chamber of fed. parl. votes no-confidence in Premier Markovic and For. Min. Budimir Loncar, both ethnic Croats Nov. 16 - Borovo Naselje (N of Vuk.) falls, even as cease-fire goes into effect; Vukovar=s governor, Marin Vidic-Bili, sends letter to Bush and German Chancellor Kohl asking for help before it is too late Nov. 18 - Croat commander in Vukovar orders his men to lay down their arms; sporadic small arms fire in town; Milosevic endorses peacekeeping idea Nov. 19 - Thousands flee Vuk.; unconfirmed reports of 2 Croat guardsmen being executed; Osijek under renewed attack Nov. 21 - Build-up continues around Osijek; Vinkovci also reported to be next target; UN envoy Vance meets with Milosevic and Serb leader, Goran Had, and later with BH pres. Izetbegovic; Milan Dedakovic, who organized the defense of Vuk., is arrested at his Zag. home and charged with leaving the battlefield and failing to report on the situation; Shelling of villages around Zadar causes 2,000 to flee their homes Nov. 22 - Lord Carrington arrives unexpectedly in Belgrade; Vance meets with Serb leader from Knin part of southern part of Croatia, Milan Babic; In Croatia, leaders of extreme national- ist Party of Rights, Dobroslav Paraga and Milan Vukovic are detained on suspicion of plotting an armed insurrection (Paraga's militia was a Akey element@ in the defense of Vuk.) Nov. 23 - 14th cease-fire, but first brokered by UN, agreed upon even while Serbs move against Osijek; heavy mortar and rocket attacks; Hungary says thousands of refugees have fled across the border into Hungary; Tudjman accuses Serbia of trying to seize territory before cease-fire goes into effect; Tudjman, Milosevic, and Yugo. Def. Min. Kadijevic meet in Geneva with Vance and Carrington Nov. 24 - Village south of Osijek, Laslovo captured by fed. troops or Serbs (unclear which) Nov. 25 - Truce to go into effect, but fed. army presses attack on Osijek; Croats lift their blockade of fed. barracks in Zag. and evacuation plans begin; Milosevic says imminent truce unlikely; tens of thousands have already fled Osijek; Belgrade Radio reports that 40,000 have fled into Hungary; Tudjman says Croatia has managed to internationalize the war Nov. 26 - Pre-dawn army attack on Osijek; more fed. forces reported leaving Belgrade for the front; rocket attack on town of Podravska Slatina (90 miles e. of Zag.); Croatian crop-dusting planes stage air raid on Serb-held villages of Vera, Tenja, and Bobota (SE of Osijek); Croat troops also attempt to retake portion of Zag.-Bel. highway Nov. 27 - Italian relief ship leaves Dub. with 878 refugees; UNESCO observers refused entrance into Dub.; attacks on Osijek kill 16, Croatian radio says Nov. 28 - Relative quiet everywhere except in Osijek and Nova Gradiska where attacks and shelling continues; Tudjman says he will accept deployment of UN forces within the republic Nov. 29 - Vance to return to Yugo. to discuss deployment of 10,000-man UN peacekeeping force; fed. troops leave Martial Tito barracks in Zagreb; more fighting in Slavonia Nov. 30 - Army pores cannon fire on Osijek, Nova Gradiska; Lipik falls to Serbs Dec. 1 - Vance back in Belgrade for talks; Hans-Dietrich Genscher says Germany will recognize both Slovenia and Croatia later this month; more fighting in Osijek and Nova Gradiska; Croatian artillery fires on Lipik and army positions around Vinkovci Dec. 6 - US imposes new sanctions against all of Yugo. while accusing Serbia of reprehensible attacks against Croatia; sanctions supposedly to support EC efforts even though the EC has already lifted its own against all but Serbia and Montenegro Dec. 15 - New fighting around Osijek; artillery attacks on town of Generalski Stol (rail link between Karlovac and Rijeka); Germany's insistence about recognizing Slovenia and Croatia by Christmas threatens UN plan to deploy 10,000 peacekeepers (known as Vance Plan) Dec. 17 - German-French proposal accepted by EC for recognition of any republic which meets conditions regarding human rights, guarantees for minorities, and respect for borders; republics must apply by Dec. 23 and recognition will be granted by Jan. 15 Dec. 19 - Macedonia declares independence; Serbs in Croatia declare their own republic Dec. 20 - BH also declares independence; Premier Markovic announces his resignation saying he is for peace but 81% of the 1992 fed. budget is earmarked for the military Dec. 21 - Serbs in BH declare their own republic; US State Dept. warns Serbia not to threaten either republic Dec. 22 - Albanians in Kosovo say they will seek recognition from the EC as an ind. state; Tudjman goes on TV to urge citizens to keep fighting until all territory is regained; artillery duels in Slavonia, air force planes drop 2 bombs near Gospic (central Croatia) Dec. 23 - Germany formally recognizes Croatia and Slovenia; Croat forces claim to have re-captured a key Serb stronghold village in central Croatia; BH makes formal application to EC for recognition of the republic as an ind. state, also calling on UN for peacekeeping force on its borders Dec. 24 - Fighting on Christmas Eve in Osijek Dec. 25 - Yugo. air force allows civilian plane to land in Zag. with medical supplies and Christmas gifts Dec. 26 - Serbia says it will create new and smaller Yugo. including territory taken from Croatia and BH (Montenegro and Serbia to be core) according to acting fed. pres., Branko Kostic; all interested parties will meet in Belgrade on Jan. 3 to discuss the new union; fed. airplanes attack Zag.-Belgrade highway; Croats say they have retaken six more villages Dec. 29 - Air force jets continue attacks on Karlovac; surface-to-surface missile attacks south of Zag. (fed. army denies it); Croats push Serbs back in central Croatia Dec. 30 - Artillery attacks in central Croatia near Pakrac and Novska (60 miles E of Zag.) and around Nova Gradiska (85 miles e. of Zag.); Fed. pres. appeals to EC to treat internal borders as an open issue that can be a topic of negotiations Dec. 31 - Fed. pres. accepts UN plan for deployment of troops inside Croatia; fierce fighting around Zadar, Daruvar (60 miles E of Zag.); bombardments of Sisak, Karlovac