Attempts by international peace mediators to persuade the Bosnian Serbs to accept the latest peace plan remained "deadlocked," a senior Serb official confirmed.
Fighting also flared in the northwest, with the UN blaming Bosnian Serb forces for shelling the government-held town of Bihac, a UN safe area, Thursday morning. Six shells impacted around dawn, wounding one civilian, a spokesman said.
Lieutenant General Rupert Smith, 51, who replaced fellow Briton Lieutenant General Sir Michael Rose, said however that he hoped to convert Bosnia's shaky new cease-fire into lasting peace.
"I'm pleased to take up the reins from my predecessor, Michael Rose, to do what we can to give aid to the unfortunate and long-suffering people caught up in this conflict and on the basis of the 'cessation of hostilities' to work hard at arriving at a settlement and peace in this country," Smith told reporters on arrival at the UN-run Sarajevo airport.
Asked whether Rose had passed on any words of wisdom, Smith said, "'Good luck' were his parting words."
Analysts believe Smith's main task will be to deploy UN troops between rival Serb and Bosnian government forces to calm fighting and foster a revival of peace talks.
Three envoys from the five-nation "contact group," who are trying to revive the peace process, were in Sarajevo on Thursday after having changed their minds about breaking off their mission to Bosnia.
The mediators said Wednesday they were going home because they had failed to persuade the Serbs to accept the current peace plan as a basis for new negotiations.
But a U.S. official told reporters that three of the five envoys had changed their minds and had remained in Sarajevo to consider their next step.
Russian and German envoys flew out because they had prior engagements. The other members of the contact group are the United States, Britain and France.
A senior Serb official in Pale said contact group members might meet again with the Bosnian Serb leadership Thursday but he was skeptical that any breakthrough could be achieved.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.