(15 Sep 1995) English/Nat
The United Nations Special Envoy to the former Yugoslavia, Yasushi Akashi, has said that renewed NATO attacks on Bosnian Serb positions are certain if they fail to honour their promise to pull back their guns.
On Thursday, the Bosnian Serbs said they would pull their heavy weapons back from Sarajevo. NATO then announced it would temporarily halt military strikes on Serb targets, initially for three days.
U-N envoy Yasushi Akashi spoke to reporters in Zagreb Friday, giving more details about the Bosnian Serb pledge to withdraw heavy arms from around Sarajevo.
SOUNDBITE:
"This was a statement of intent by the Bosnian Serbs that was reached in Belgrade with the U.S. delegation led by Mr. Holbrooke. The Bosnian Serbs will withdraw their heavy weapons from the Sarajevo area, within the next six days. This will be divided into two stages of three days each and that will be verified by the United Nations and NATO. The three-day suspension has already begun and the weapons withdrawal should start today."
SUPERCAPTION: UN Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi
He also said he hoped the current joint Bosnian-Croat offensive against the Bosnian Serbs would stop during the sensitive negotiations.
SOUNDBITE:
"There's a lot of offensive action by Croatian troops, both Bosnian-Croat and Croatian Croat troops as well as Bosnian government troops. It is important that the Secretary General of U.N. and Secretary General of NATO issued a joint statement strongly criticizing and cautioning the offensive military action in central Bosnia. This can be a very disquieting element."
Q: Is there any sign of withdrawal of weapons already underway?
"It's too soon. I think they'll start this morning."
SUPERCAPTION: UN Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi
Akashi added that if the Serbs fail to withdraw the weapons from a 20-kilometer (12.5 m) zone around Sarajevo, new air attacks are guaranteed.
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