The new force is expected to be fully established by 3 February 1997, when the next phase of Operation Joint Guard, the stabilization phase, will begin. Over the past month, the situation in the theatre has been calm, in part owing to the winter weather conditions. SFOR troops have conducted area reconnaissance and surveillance operations and inspected the authorized sites for heavy weapons and other forces. The next major milestone in implementation of the Peace Agreement that may have an impact on SFOR operations will be the decision of the Brcko Arbitration Tribunal, expected on 15 February. Cooperation and compliance by the parties All parties remain in general compliance with the military provisions of the Peace Agreement.
Individual breaches continue to occur, however.
One cantonment violation was registered in early January, in a weapons site east of Banja Luka, with the removal by Bosnian Serbs of 450 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition. Unauthorized weapons, mainly small arms, continue to be discovered and confiscated. With respect to freedom of movement and freedom of return, SFOR has discovered and removed a small number of illegal checkpoints over the past month. The risk remains of incidents associated with the return of refugees and displaced persons into the zone of separation. In addition, none of the parties is yet judged to be compliant with respect to demining, and mines continue to pose the greatest threat to civilians and troops alike.