Description
Object description
Press conference with UNPROFOR Commander, General Jean Cot.
Content description
General Jean Cot, UNPROFOR Commander, sits behind a table at a press conference. Shots of the journalists in the audience. An UNPROFOR press officer explains a recent mine accident. Jean Cot says that a mine explosion, which resulted in three casualties and twelve wounded, was an unfortunate accident. He says that UNPROFOR are currently being blamed for not clearing the mine but he says "UNPROFOR has nothing to do with mine clearing in those buildings and the Argentinean Battalion even went beyond their mandate by recommending to the Croatian police to conduct a very thorough search of the area. He says "I will not longer accept from either side these accusations of inefficiency in these actions that have nothing to do with UNPROFOR's mandate".
In Croatia, General Cot says that the negotiations failed on July 31st and the UN has been trying to put the pieces back together over the last months. He says "I do not despair at bringing the two sides together" arranging a ceasefire between Croat and Serb military forces but he remains cautious because of reports of significant shelling by both sides this morning.
In Bosnia-Herzegovnia, following the break in the Geneva negotiations, General Cot saw one of two possibilities occurring. The first was fighting across the country, the second was a continuation of the ceasefire in place since July 31st. It seems currently that the second scenario is prevailing particularly in the Sarajevo area. There have been no changes in position on Mount Igman.
09.25 – loss of sound
09.38 – sound returns – General Cot says that in central Bosnia, the fighting is most intense between Croatian and Muslim forces. He has recently participated in many talks regarding the humanitarian situation given that UNHCR have reduced its convoys over last few days because of security concerns. He will be talking to Thorvald Stoltenberg, who has been away at the Geneva talks, to look into ways to increase the amount of aid distributed. He says that UNPROFOR and UNHCR can work in a more coordinated fashion to make sure convoys get where they need to go. He has just finished a two day visit to Bosnia. He spent the majority of his time in Visoko, where CANBAT are stationed and there, he spoke a great deal about Srebrenica where two Canadian companies are doing outstanding work. General Cot is going to Srebrenica for medal awards ceremony next week. In Visoko he witnessed a close air support exercise involving patrols by the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France. The humanitarian situation is bleaker. He stresses that the primary role of UNPROFOR is to accompany aid convoys and UNHCR and UNPROFOR depend on each other. Until the beginning of winter, regardless of difficulties, the aim of both of these organisations is to distribute and, if possible, stockpile aid supplies.
General Jean Cot answers journalists' questions. Among his comments, he stresses that UNPROFOR is not here to defend either side against the other but to try to find common ground between points of view that seem too far apart. He would welcome any ground troops sent by the United States. Currently the United States plan to send ground troops to Bosnia when the Geneva Accords are signed and when there is some evidence that the shelling has stopped.
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