BRITAIN / BOSNIA AID BY ANDRE DE NESNERA/ LONDON
DATE=8/21/95
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-30917
TITLE= BRITAIN / BOSNIA AID
BYLINE= ANDRE DE NESNERA
DATELINE= LONDON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE CHAIRMAN OF A SMALL BRITISH CHARITY HAS CALLED ON THE
UNITED NATIONS TO CHANGE ITS MANDATE AND PROTECT ALL RELIEF
CONVOYS -- NOT JUST THOSE UNDER U-N AUSPICES. AS V-O-A
CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA REPORTS FROM LONDON, THE APPEAL
COMES AFTER TWO BRITISH RELIEF WORKERS AND THREE U-S PEACE
NEGOTIATORS WERE KILLED ON THE DANGEROUS MOUNT IGMAN ROAD,
LEADING INTO SARAJEVO
TEXT: THE BRITISH CHARITY "BOSNIA AID OF OXFORD" HAS BEEN
WORKING IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS. IT HAS
DELIVERED MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND TONS OF FOOD AND MEDICINES TO
SARAJEVO AND OTHER MORE REMOTE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.
IN ADDITION TO SUPPLYING AID, THE SMALL BRITISH CHARITY IS
HELPING REBUILD A MENTAL HOSPITAL IN A VILLAGE NOT FAR FROM
SARAJEVO, IN TERRITORY CONTROLLED BY THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT. BUT
TIM WINTER -- CHAIRMAN OF "BOSNIA AID OF OXFORD" -- SAYS THE
MENTAL HOSPITAL IS REGULARLY SHELLED AND MACHINE-GUNNED BY
BOSNIAN SERBS.
/// WINTER ACTUALITY ///
WE GET ABOUT TEN TO 15 SHELLS -- FAIRLY HEAVY ONES --
EVERY DAY. IT IS WHAT IS KNOWN COLLOQUIALLY IN BOSNIA
AS "RECREATIONAL SHELLING,," IN AS MUCH AS THE PLACE HAS
ABSOLUTELY NO STRATEGIC VALUE. BUT IT DOES, OF COURSE,
TERRIFY NOT ONLY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHEN I AM THERE, BUT
ALSO THE POOR MENTAL PATIENTS. THERE ARE 400 PEOPLE
THERE, AND, WHENEVER A SHELL GOES OFF, THEY SCREAM AND
THEY DIVE UNDER THEIR BEDS OR HIDE IN CUPBOARDS AND IT
IS A VERY DISTRESSING SITUATION ALL AROUND.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
THE VILLAGE WHERE THE MENTAL HOSPITAL IS BEING REBUILT IS LOCATED
AT THE STARTING POINT OF THE MOUNT IGMAN ROAD -- THE MAIN LAND
ROUTE FOR SUPPLIES INTO SARAJEVO. THAT ROAD IS ALSO REGULARLY
SHELLED BY BOSNIAN-SERB TROOPS. WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, TWO
BRITISH RELIEF WORKERS AND THREE U-S PEACE NEGOTIATORS WERE
KILLED AS THEY TRAVELED ON THE TREACHEROUS MOUNT IGMAN ROAD.
MR. WINTER IS CALLING FOR THE UNITED NATIONS TO CHANGE ITS
MANDATE AND PROVIDE PRIVATE CHARITIES SUCH AS "BOSNIA AID OF
OXFORD" WITH THE SAME PROTECTION GIVEN U-N RELIEF CONVOYS.
/// WINTER ACTUALITY ///
UNFORTUNATELY, THE BRITISH U-N BATTERIES WHICH WERE
DEPLOYED TO PROTECT THAT ROAD ABOUT THREE-WEEKS AGO ARE
AUTHORIZED TO PROTECT ONLY OFFICIAL U-N CONVOYS AND
PRIVATE CHARITIES SUCH AS OURSELVES ARE GIVEN NO
PROTECTION. SO, YOU NOW HAVE THE ABSURD SPECTACLE OF
BRITISH TROOPS BEING PROHIBITED FROM DEFENDING BRITISH
AID WORKERS. AND, AS WE SAW LAST WEEK THIS POLICY HAS
NOW CLAIMED BRITISH LIVES AND WE ARE URGENTLY PRESSING
THE FOREIGN OFFICE AND THE UNITED NATIONS TO EXTEND ITS
MANDATE FOR MOUNT IGMAN IN ORDER TO PROTECT VEHICLES
FROM THE SERBIAN ATTACKS.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
MR. WINTER HAS NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. IN THE MEANTIME, HE
HAS PROHIBITED ALL HIS DRIVERS FROM GOING ANYWHERE NEAR THE MOUNT
IGMAN ROAD.
/// WINTER ACTUALITY ///
UNTIL SOME U-N ENGINEERS WIDEN IT AND STRENGTHEN IT AND
PUT A PROPER SURFACE ON IT -- AND THE UNITED NATIONS
TROOPS -- THE BRITISH AND THE FRENCH WHICH ARE ON MOUNT
IGMAN -- ACTUALLY START PROTECTING THE N-G-O'S, THAT IS
THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS THE
OFFICIAL U-N VEHICLES. I CANNOT BELIEVE THE WESTERN
POWERS, AS INCARNATED IN THE UNITED NATIONS, CANNOT PUT
A PROPER SURFACE ON A 10-MILE ROAD IN BOSNIA. IT SHOULD
NOT BE BEYOND THEM.
/// END ACTUALITY /
MR. WINTER SAYS -- IF CONDITIONS ON THE MOUNT IGMAN ROAD DO NOT
IMPROVE -- MANY RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS WILL THINK TWICE ABOUT USING
THAT ROUTE. THOSE WHO WILL SUFFER THE MOST, SAYS MR. WINTER, ARE
-- ONCE AGAIN -- THE PEOPLE OF SARAJEVO. (SIGNED)
NEB/ADN/WOD/RAE
NEB/ADEN/
21-Aug-95 10:37 AM EDT (1437 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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