BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: SENIOR IFOR OFFICER ADMITS THEY CAN NOT GUARANTEE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR CIVILIANS IN NORTHERN BOSNIA

Record ID: 230423

  • Title: BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: SENIOR IFOR OFFICER ADMITS THEY CAN NOT GUARANTEE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR CIVILIANS IN NORTHERN BOSNIA
  • Date: 8th June 1996
  • Summary: GRAPSKA AND SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. (JUNE 8, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) GRAPSKA 1. LV PAN REFUGEES WAITING AT IFOR (PROTECTION FORCE) CHECKPOINT, IFOR APCS, TROOPS (3 SHOTS) 0.16 2. LV'S REFUGEES WAITING, STANDING AND AROUND AND SITTING IN BUSES, REFUGEES SITTING BY ROAD (3 SHOTS) 0.38 3. LV IFOR ARMOURED VEHICLE BLOCKING ROAD 0.44 4. SCU SWEDISH UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) LIEUTENANT COLONEL INGE PALMBERG SPEAKING ABOUT SECURITY OF CIVILIANS (ENGLISH) 1.12 5. LV REFUGEES WAITING 1.18 SARAJEVO 6. MV UNHCR (UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES) SPOKESMAN CHRIS JANOWSKI SPEAKING ABOUT REFUGEES (ENGLISH) 1.46 7. CU UNHCR SIGN ON VEHICLE 1.49 8. MV JANOWSKI SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 2.11 9. SLV INTERVIEWER WITH JANOWSKI 2.14 TRANSCRIPT SEQ. 4. PALMBERG, " IFOR CANNOT GUARANTEE THE SECURITY OF THESE PEOPLE JUST NOW. IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CIVILIAN AUTHORITIES, CIVILIAN POLICE, THE MAYOR AND OTHERS. BUT IFOR HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PEOPLE." TRANSCRIPT SEQ. 6. JANOWKI, "THIS VISIT WAS CANCELLED BY THE SERB POLICE CHIEF ON A VERY SHORT NOTICE. HE CANCELLED IT THIS MORNING AND THE VISIT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE TOMORROW. THE REASON HE GAVE FOR THE CANCELLATION WAS THAT THE VILLAGE WAS MINED AND HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE. HE NEVER CAME UP WITH THIS EXCUSE BEFORE SO THIS VERY FLIMSY EXCUSE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ATTEMPT TO BLOCK THE VISIT." TRANSCRIPT SEQ. 8. JANOWSKI, "WE ARE BASICALLY SEEING A WALL OF HOSTILITY TOWARD UNIFICATION ESPECIALLY IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRBSKA. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE DENTS IN THIS WALL, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO RUN BUSES BETWEEN THE ENTITIES, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ORGANISE THOSE VISITS. THESE MAY BE SMALL STEPS BUT EVEN THOSE SMALL STEPS ARE BEING HARASSED." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 23rd June 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GRAPSKA AND SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
  • Reuters ID: LVAALHA4CRQHB7XVGVIEXCCNOK34
  • Story Text: - INTRO: A senior IFOR officer has admitted his men can not guarantee freedom of movement for civilians in Northern Bosnia. The admission came after Bosnian Serbs blocked the visit of around 100 Bosnian Moslems to their home town.

    ---------------------------------------------------- Bosnian Serbs blocked around 100 Bosnian Moslems from entering their home town of Grapska on Saturday (June 8).

    The incident happened outside the village of Grapska, near Doboj, when local Bosnian Serbs forbade the Moslems to enter the settlement.

    Swedish IFOR (Protection Force) field officer Lieutenant Colonel Inge Palmberg said his troops could not guarantee freedom of movement for civilians in Northern Bosnia.

    "It's the responsibility of the civilian authorities, civilan police, the mayor and others," he said.

    "But IFOR has no responsibility for these people." In Sarajevo, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) spokesman Chris Janowski said Bosnian Serb authorities had said the village was mined.

    Janowski described the explanation as an obvious attempt to block the freedom of movement guaranteed under the Dayton Accord.

    "We are basically seeing a wall of hostility toward unification, especially in the Republic of Srpska," he said.

    "We have been trying to make dents in this war, we have been trying to run buses between the entities...we have been trying to organise those visits. They may be small steps but even those steps are being harassed." Janowski also said four Bosnian government officials from Koraj were stopped and the UNHCR car they were travelling in was attacked by Bosnian Serbs on Saturday.


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