Nachricht Nummer : 133
Übertragungszeit : 3 min 37 sec
Nachricht von    : WAM@ZAMIR-ZG.ZER.sub.org
Betrifft         : Zagreb Diary 29 May, 1993
Erstellungsdatum : 31.05.1993 22:42:00 S+2

Realname: Wam Kat

Zagreb Diary 29 May, 1993

Dobar dan,

The plan today was to visit Amela again to install the software for her and to 
contact her computer via modem to a carphone, but it went of course 
different. First the carphone, which is an alternative to wait for months for 
an extra outsideline, was of course not the one Vincent asked for, the HPT 
man he talked with didn't deliver the right one. No way it was possible to 
connect the computer via that one.

So we started to try to connect her modem with the outgoing line which 
goes via the telephone central of UNHCR. That became an operation over 
hours, to get connected to the outside line the central what to receive one or 
anther code which is not produceable via a modem. What ever we tried it 
became not much better. And after a few hours a was sitting on the ground 
with meters of cable, 3 or 4 modems and 3 computers and still nothing 
worked.

But since Burkie and Amela were there we had under the work a lot of talks 
of course. First we had to explain here why we came to do what we do in 
these countries, nobody is paying us, like the people within UNHCR and we 
have no real links with this countries, like her she is Croat from Zenica in 
central Bosnia. Or what it is to work in camps or to organise and drive 
convoys, since she works only at a desk in the building what is really going 
on out there she hasn't experienced yet. We promised her to take her to 
some of the refugee camps to show what happens in those camps she 
hears so much about.

For the rest I asked if I could get one of those official weekly maps from the 
UNPROFOR in BiH with all those nice up to date information on it. She told 
that there was just a new policy that those cards are not available anymore 
for NGO's. On this maps they, UNPROFOR, mostly on the bases of their 
own information, show where the frontlines are about and where the fights 
are taking place. With nice areas the different fighting groups and their 
fighting directions is pin pointed on the map. With mostly the estimated 
amount of soldiers in the different army groups. 

Since UNPROFOR comes on both side of the front lines this maps always 
contains information in which the "other" side could be interested in, when 
that is not already known. And in the past nearly everybody could get this 
cards. It is very handy if you plan a convoy to estimate the risks you are 
taking on the basis of those maps., but they are now for use within UN 
bodies. To much of that information has been spread to easily and 
UNPROFOR has been excused of all side to inform the "other" party of 
their military secrets. On this maps is also writing how many refugees and 
original people are living in which town in BiH, some towns as Tuzla has 
grown with 50% over the last months. 

The other reports for the NGO about safety and plans of UNHCR and 
UNPROFOR are public, we distribute via the network between Geneva, 
Zagreb and Beograd, but if you read some of the recommendations for the 
further future you get really the feeling that the UN bodies are planning for a 
long war. One of the major problems is the road from Hercegovina up to 
Tuzla, this road is now more one big mud pool than a road, only strong and 
trucks high on their wheels are able to come through (like Joseph's Emma). 
But the logistic centre gather that a dry summer, as dry as this month May, 
will make this road easier to go on, although due to the heavy traffic most of 
the parts of the road will become small deserts, but in the autumn and 
winter the situation will be worst than this year.

The advice to start in the late summer with building activities since the road 
will be the last vane with Tuzla for a long time according their thoughts. And 
on such a moment you start to think indeed we are more and more planning 
with the conditions in our heads as they are at the moment. Simply you see 
that all this scenarios for the next winter session of humanitarian runs on 
Tuzla is already in planning. It all starts more and more the fit in the not 
always so flexible UN humanitarian bodies. The first part of the war in BiH 
you had the feeling they all were busy to improvise, but now you see slowly 
that the dinosaurs have learned something and the motor is slowly getting in 
to the right space.

On a Saturday like this you are about the only people in the whole building, 
some secretaries work in the weekend since something has to be done 
quick, but most workers have their free days. Only the security and the radio 
room is always their and working. In the afternoon some more people from 
SunCokret arrived, looking for me. And we wondered a bit through the 
building, looking at the nice illustrations in the hall way. Posters of UNCHR 
with photo's from refugees all over the world and in all possible races of the 
globe. 

Next to the front door when you come in a photo from UNHCR trucks and 
four wheel drive on a highway somewhere in Croatia, with the text in 
Croatian "Help on the way" and under it big UNHCR. I reminds me a lot on 
the same type of photo's you see when you visit a trucking company and 
maybe that is a bit UNHCR, a big international transport company, food in 
and people out. On the other side of the entrance stand the most charming 
transport vehicle of the company, a small motor, you knows such which you 
can drive without licence, also totally white and the letter "UNHCR" on it.

Bok I Mir from Zagreb,

							Wam
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