Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 9, 1993 TAG: 9305090170
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LENGTH: Medium
The agreement was signed by rival commanders and French Gen. Philippe Morillon, chief of U.N. peacekeepers in Bosnia, after long negotiations at Sarajevo's airport, which was under heavy sniper fire during the day.
Many truces have been made and broken in the year-old Bosnian conflict, but the Bosnian Serbs came under increasing pressure last week to stop the fighting.
The agreement would require all forces to withdraw or surrender their weapons to U.N. troops in Srebrenica - by 5 p.m. Monday - or Zepa, by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The Bosnian Serbs appeared increasingly isolated Thursday when Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, under pressure of U.N. sanctions, said he would cut off military aid to the rebels. Milosevic is the rebels' chief supporter.
The United States has also been stepping up efforts to get European allies' support for air strikes against the Bosnian Serbs.
Before the cease-fire was announced, The Sunday Times, a London newspaper, reported that U.S. air strikes against Bosnian Serb targets would begin within 10 days. The newspaper, citing unidentified military and diplomatic sources in Washington and London, said hundreds of American aircraft would attack bridges, roads and artillery positions.
Britain has agreed to participate in some attacks, the paper said. In Washington, White House spokeswoman Lorraine Voles said she could not confirm the report and declined further comment.
In Moscow, Russian President Boris Yeltsin cautioned against sudden military intervention and said he hoped the Bosnian Serbs would approve the U.N. peace plan in a referendum called by their self-styled parliament.
Yeltsin said any decision on military action could be taken only after the referendum and with Security Council approval.
Shelling and heavy sniper fire continued Saturday night in Sarajevo. Sarajevo radio said two people were killed and 20 wounded during the day. U.N. headquarters was hit twice by artillery fire in the evening. No casualties were reported.
The Bosnian Serbs' military commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, signed the cease-fire agreement Saturday along with the commander of Bosnian government forces, Gen. Sefer Halilovic.
Before Saturday's cease-fire, the Bosnian government requested that U.N. peacekeepers leave Bosnia. It said international concern over their safety has blocked efforts to lift part of a U.N. arms embargo to let government forces defend themselves against the Serbs.
by CNB