DUBROVNIK, Croatia -- One year after the highly criticized Serbian bombardment of the 12th century city of Dubrovnik during the war in the former Yugoslav republic of Croatia, the Serbian-dominated Yugoslav army is withdrawing the last of its troops from Croatian soil.
But Croatian military sources say the army, occupying territory a few miles south of Dubrovnik, is leaving behind weapons and heavy artillery for the Serbian forces fighting in the neighboring war-torn republic of Bosnia-Hercegovina.
U.N. officials would not confirm or deny the allegations that the weaponry was being left behind for Bosnian Serbs stationed in the hills above the historic Adriatic port known as the Pearl of Croatia.
The withdrawal of the Yugoslav army from Croatia is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 20, but the joint U.N. and European Community brokered agreement did not stipulate what should be done with the weapons or where the army should withdraw to.
'They are not bound to tell us where they are supposed to go,' Rashid Khan, U.N. Commander in the region said. 'This is not the end of the story, it is just the beginning. We still need areas of operations earmarked and to find a more mutual agreement regarding equipment.'
When the Yugoslav army, one of the largest and well-equipped in eastern Europe, withdrew from other areas in Croatia early this year, they left weaponry behind for local Serb forces.
Ethnic Serbs -- backed by the army -- launched the war in Croatia to oppose Croatian independence. The bombing of Dubrovnik, a famous tourist attraction, was widely denounced. Now, although a U.N. cease-fire and peace plan are in effect, some Serbs in Croatia have been unwilling to disarm.
Cedric Thornberry, head of U.N. civil affairs, has said the Serb's unwillingness to comply is having 'catastrophic' repercussions on the U.N. peace plan.
Croatian forces fear Serbians in Bosnia-Hercegovina will move to the north towards Mostar, a city in west-central Bosnia-Hercegovina liberated by Croatian forces in June, and launch a new assault on the area.
The Yugoslav army is withdrawing from the southern tip of Croatia, which includes the strategic Prevlaka Peninsula that controls access to the neighboring Boka Kotorska bay in Serbia's allied republic Montenegro.
Under the agreement, the peninsula will be put under U.N. and EC control to ensure the Yugoslav army access to the bay, Serbia's only port outlet to the west.
In addition, a 'yellow zone' will be created around the entrance to the peninsula where only Croatian and Serbian police will be permitted on each of their respective territories, according to local Croatian military sources.
But the U.N. and the EC only has about 20 people patrolling the area.
'It's a problem,' said a U.N. observer who asked not to be identified. 'You never know what is going to happen.'
Although Khan said everything is going as scheduled and has had assurances the troops will withdraw on schedule, he added there were no guarantees. 'The first thing to be assassinated in a war is the truth.'
But he believes it is in the Serb's best interest to complete the process.
'If they are not finished by the 20th, then the whole world can point their fingers at them,' he said.
Preliminary agreements are being made for Croatia and the former Yugoslavia to jointly recognize each other and possibly open up transportation routes between their respective capitals, Zagreb and Belgrade.
But Dubrovnik leader Zeljko Sikic said left-over bitterness will plague the normalization process. He said the old town district took hundreds of direct hits and 'nothing can be repaired to its original state.'
Sikic said the war caused approximately $4 billion in damage and destroyed the multi-million dollar tourist industry.
'I think the Serbs would like to forget what they have done -- they need our geographical position,' he said. 'But I think the people of Dubrovnik will not so easily forget.'