Nachricht Nummer : 173 Übertragungszeit : 4 min 24 sec Nachricht von : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ZER.sub.org Betrifft : Zagreb Diary 29 June, 1993 Erstellungsdatum : 30.06.1993 20:43:00 S+2 Realname: Wam Kat Zagreb Diary 29 June, 1993 Dobar dan, One of the things I am always look forward to is the security briefing of UNCHR and today we had a special big meeting of all the NGO's active in relief work in Croatia and BiH, so there were far over 60 people a lot more than the small group at a normal steering group meeting. Mike as always started to say that the situation in Croatia hasn't changed a bit since the last week, quiet and no fighting. But what happened in the last week in BiH is probably going to set the standards for the next 3 months. Starting up in the north, in the Bihac pocket, the most stable place of the country, not more then 6 rounds a day, but the BiH armija forces in Bihac are rather disappointed by the negative decision of the EC about lifting the arms embargo. There are reports of new armies building up their strength in the UNPA zones North and South (Knin and Lika area in Croatia) and due to the decision the BiH armija forces can't rearm there troops in the Bihac pocket, so they are afraid. Heavy fighting in the corridor area near Brcko, this is the life line for the Serbian held territories in Northern Bosnia and the corridor is just a few kilometres wide, the Bosnian Serbian forces are trying for weeks now to enlarged the corridor. UNPROFOR reported, nevertheless the none-fly zone over Bosnia, a lot of helicopter movements of the Bosnian Serbian forces, sometimes F-16 are spotted trying to press the helicopters down, but the political will to shot them down is not existing. Also they spotted big movements of tankers from the oil fields in Northern Bosnia and the field in UNPA zone East in Croatia. All those tankers are on their way to Serbia. Other railway tankers with each 25 tons of chloride are spotted again in Tuzla, if those tankers will be blown up by BiH armija as a last suicide action it is estimated that up to 9 km down wind the cloud will be deadly. The second front-line passing north of Tuzla is still not established, but in talks with Mladic yesterday UNHCR have got all the possible promises, so hopefully by the end of this week the first convoys can pass that passing. It is also true that it happens more often that HVO troops in the north of Central Bosnia went over Bosnian Serbian held territory to run for BiH armija. The fights in the area are strong, the idea is that BiH armija tries to surround the HVO held positions in order to create new pockets and have better negotiating positions at the tables in Geneva. And UNPROFOR observers also spotted in HVO held pocket under Jablanica Serbian commanders together with HVO commanders. The co- operation in that area goes generations back, was explained to us, most of them have been fighting together in the partisan army in the second world war. Also the witnessed Serbian tanks pulling out of the circle around Sarajevo and who were moving towards Kiseljak. His opinion was, but there is no hard evidence for it, that this tanks are lent by the Serbs to HVO in order to fight against BiH armija. But as said they only saw the tanks going in the direction of Kiseljak, nothing else. Sarajevo itself is quiet, not more than 25 impacts a day are reported. Also life in Zepa is not so bad according to an UNHCR official who just returned. South of the disarmed zone in Srebrenica it are basically the forces of BiH armija who are breaking the cease fire, but of course their fire is often answered by the surrounding Bosnian Serbian forces. After this report a lively discussion started between mostly the representatives of the Muslim relief organisations and Mike. They had to admit that his report was neutral and detailed, but attacked him saying that UNPROFOR is not doing enough. Especially that the airport in Tuzla is still closed. Mike explained that this is not a military decision, but a leak of international political will to donated enough troops, at least 700 are needed for opening the airport, to the UNPROFOR army in BiH. He also made clear that the troops which were donated to serve in Croatia can't be moved to BiH, without new decision of the donor countries and the security council. When people reacted that 700 is a lot, he reacted "I am a soldier, I have served in peace keeping and normal military operations around the world and we have our own problem in Northern Ireland, being a soldier means that I excepted the full impact of the job, that means also the possibility of getting killed. Up to now 145 UNPROFOR soldiers has been killed, we are not crazy." The last question which was ask was if he, Mike, could see any peace in the near future, his answer, "I don't know". A last tip he gave to those organisation who operate from Beograd, soon at the first of July, the Serbian republic will introduce a new road tax, they have said that it will costs 150 US $ per vehicle, at this moment it is not clear if that will be per year or per trip. Most expected is that it will be per trip, as soon as they know more they will inform everybody how to handle this tax. Later during the meeting the new special Envoy of UNHCR, Mr. Nicholas Morris, introduced himself, I don't think that he really expected so much criticism on the UNCHR activities and also so much mixing up between his organisation and UNPROFOR. But he reacted calm and explained every little detailed. When somebody attacked him saying that the plan to evacuated all the people, at least the refugees, from Srebrenica, he reacted that this is one of this awful dilemmas. UNCHR has only a humanitarian mandate, they have the opinion that most of the people wouldn't survive another winter in that area and it is not possible to repair all life systems (water and electricity) in the town, neither can they ship in enough food and medicines. They will not force people to leave, but the reality is that every convoy which reach the town is surrounded by people who want to leave. Of course they rather would help rebuilding the place and leave the people at the spot, but the facts are that the basic agreements to fulfil their humanitarian operations can be made or are not kept. "Look we are not willing to go for linkages, blackmails in UNHCR terms, if the Bosnian Serbs want to have money for repairing the roads they don't get in cash, we are willing to help them repairing, but don't give them money, and we are not willing to use forces to ship aid in". The representative of the Danish refugee council, who are one of the major UNHCR transport companies explained it more clearly. At every convoy we have armoured vehicles , but they are only their to hide when they shot at our soft vehicles and get the hell out of there. When we have to use them to shot our way through we pack our things and go home. Bok I Mir from Zagreb, Wam ------------------------------------------------------ Zagreb Diary can be found on a lot of different electronic networks, it is copyright free and can be ported to any network or other means of communication you like, but please drop my a line, you can reach by sending a message to wam@zamir-zg.comlink.de or wam@zamir-zg.comlink.apc.org. Zagreb Diary is dedicated to Tyche, Pjort and Rik, so that they found out what there father have been doing all that time in Zagreb. Financial support for Grassroot relief work in Croatia or BiH can be send to Kollektief Rampenplan (atn. Lylette, Postbox 780, 6130 AN Sittard, Netherlands, tel:. +31-46-524803 and fax: +31-46-516460 or to Zagrebacka Banka, Zagreb, accountnr.: 2440291594, to Kat, Pieter Jan Herman Fredrik, Brace Domany 6 6fl nr3, 41000 Zagreb. Please notify me if you send or have send any donations. ## CrossPoint v2.1 ##