The Airport Called Hope

Flying from Paris in a "Hercules", the French Health Minister Bernard Kouchner listens anxiously to the latest news from Sarajevo. The plane is carrying 25 tons of drugs and medical material and a French Civil Defense's truck, destined for Bosnian hospitals overcrowded with the wounded, and without even basic medicines. A group of French journalists from the biggest Paris papers is also aboard. They are coming to see for themselves the latest Yugoslav nightmare, which they have heard about in the terrifying reports from the Bosnian war theater.

On the first floor of the airport building, Mr. Kouchner first meets with the B&H President Alija Izetbegovic, whom he met for the first time in late December 1991. The President looks weary. This is not surprising after everything that has happened here. "Here is the first contingent of humanitarian aid," says the Frenchman, "the second and third will follow; without peace there is no solution..."

At the airport we see tanks with Yugoslav flags, lots of JNA soldiers in cammo uniforms, as well as several dozen Norwegian and French "blue helmets" and EC observers.

Soon the next visitor arrives, Lord Carrington, accompanied by the Portuguese. Protected by uniformed guards, he rushes to the former airport restaurant where, far from the ears of the press, a new round of talks with the Yugoslav collocutors is about to start.

Mr. Karadzic and Mr. Koljevic (a B&H Presidency member) arrive next. I turn to Mr. Karadzic and ask: "While you're waiting to talk to Lord Carrington, could you please reveal the SDS's (Serbian Democratic Party) cards to us?"

Here you are", says he politely, but without a smile, "... our platform which will be presented to Lord Carrington. We are proposing an unconditional ending to all hostilities and an urgent resumption of the conference on the future of the B&H."

"And what about Sarajevo?"

Our primary task should be to draw the maps of the constitutive parts of the major towns..."

Karadzic seems exhausted as well. Many sleepless nights have left their mark on his face.

The HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) representatives arrive. They say that everybody has agreed on one thing: nothing can be accomplished by war.

General Kukanjac is also there to meet Lord Carrington.

"I will tell him that the JNA did not attack anyone in B&H. We are separating the conflicting sides wherever we can and responding to direct attacks on our forces. The Army is not helping the paramilitary units, and is actually driving them away from the territory of B&H.

"Arkan as well?"

"And Arkan as well!"

"The Army is controlling the airport. Are there any problems?"

"Yesterday they tried to kill me. They aimed at my office and missed within a hairbreadth."

Mr. Boyd head of the EC observer mission, announces that today's talks are finished. Lord Carrington is preparing to leave Sarajevo, that is, the Sarajevo Airport restaurant. He seems satisfied. Judging by the expressions of the others, he is the only one.

"A cease-fire has been agreed. Now we'll call all parties back to the airport to sign the agreement. As of tomorrow, the representatives of the three parties will be meeting at the airport every day, and if the cease-fire holds, the Conference on the B&H will be resumed in Lisbon on Monday.

I ask him: "Is the end of all hostilities a conditio sine qua non for the resumption of the Conference?"

"Yes", replies the European diplomat.

Amidst all these optimistic statements, two buses loaded with women and children arrive at the airport, followed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' white jeep. Evacuation.

Lord Carrington's plane has left. Ten minutes after that, a lone machine-gun burst could be heard nearby.

Leon Davico