(13 Apr 1996) Eng/Serbo-Croat/Nat
The war may be over in Bosnia - but life is still tough for many former soldiers.
The Bosnian government is demobilising 300,000 troops who have little hope of finding work.
It's one of the major social problems facing the country as it tries to recover from years of fighting.:
Major Biorn Egge, President of the World Veterans Federation, visits a military cemetery in Sarajevo to pay his respects to the soldiers who died in the conflict.
But he's concentrating his efforts on the former soldiers who survived the battlefield.
Approximately 300 thousand soldiers are being returned to civilian life.
But jobs are few and far between in the peace time Bosnia.
The Bosnian War Veterans Association is trying to help by seeking support from similar organizations around the world.
SOUNDBITE:
"We have now come here to visit our friends in Bosnia to see whatever we can do to help them along in order to reconstruct their society and association and see if we can do some good for them."
SUPER CAPTION: Major Biorn Egge
But what Bosnia needs most is hard cash.
SOUNDBITE:
" Approximately on a whole count of Bosnia- Herzegovina we have 300,000 soldiers that have to be demilitarised. We cannot do it without creating some social unrest and without all the necessary funds from the International community which will be dispersed on the ground and will create job opportunities for these people. These are mostly the people who fought for the defence of this country , these are the heroes and we have to make sure they have a roof over their head and a decent salary."
SUPER CAPTION: Mirza Hajric The spokesman for the Bosnian government
Orhan Babovic, 21-year old former Bosnian soldier, has little to look forward to.
He was demobilised two months ago and has been looking for a job ever since.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo- Croat)
"The chances of not getting a job are not very big...After all we have been through, most everybody is psychologically disturbed. Only economic progress can help us out of this situation; "
SUPERCAPTION: Orhan Babovic, 21-year old former Bosnian soldier
For Ohan and countless others like him the future prospects are grim.
The former soldiers can only hope the economy picks up and the demand for workers radically improves.
Unless that happens they face continuing poverty and unemployment.
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