BOSNIA: CROATS CONTINUE TO RESTRICT MOVEMENTS OF UN TROOPS

Описание: (11 Dec 1995) English/Nat

UN troops in western Bosnia continue to have their movements restricted by Croats in the Mrkonjic Grad area.

Five British A-P-Cs have been denied access by the Bosnian Croat military police to their forward base at Mrkonjic Grad and were forced to stop 10 kilometres south of their planned destination.

It seemed to be an error of communications rather than outright obstruction by Bosnian Croat police, which prevented British troops from entering their base in the bus depot near Mrkonjic Grad in Western Bosnia.

Five A-P-Cs of the Second Battalion Light Infantry were forced to return to a shoe factory in the town.

The battalion are based in Vitez and on Mount Ignam as part of the Rapid Reaction Force, and were on a two-day mission surveying their forward bases at Bihac, Sanski Most and Mrkonjic Grad.

Engineers checked destroyed bridges along the route, taking measurements and making the preparations necessary to rebuild them so they can take the weight of APCs.

It's not the first time this time UNPROFOR troops have been stopped and it's unlikely to be the last. But the British commander does not think its done on purpose.

SOUNDBITE:

Yes we had some problems trying to get through to the bus depot in Mrkonjic Grad, where we're expecting to put a company in due course. That I think was largely due to a lack of communications down the line to the troops who were blocking us in the road block.
SUPER CAPTION: Major Chris Booth, Second Battalion Light Infantry

Booth says that once the peace accord is signed, things should be clearer.

SOUNDBITE:

I don't believe. Once the peace agreement has been signed in Paris on the 15th, if it is signed OK, then the information should get down to the official channels to the troops on the ground, to let all initially UNPROFOR personnel, then IFOR personnel, through without hindrance.
SUPER CAPTION: Major Chris Booth, Second Battalion Light Infantry

As the Second Battalion Light Infantry pulled back to Vitez leaving behind a company of 40 men and five A-P-Cs in Mrkonjic Grad, the evidence of conflict in the area was still apparent.

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