Politics and Convoys

In early April this year, the Bosnian Serb army general staff came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to organize the business of humanitarian convoys of the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations passing through territory controlled by the Bosnian Serb army. The lateness is understandable in a way: the very idea that someone should start supplying Moslems with food and medicine is intolerable to an ideology of national exclusivity and men conducting a war in a medieval manner - with the siege of towns, and the massacre of civilians whose only fault lies in having different names. They had just started to kill off all the "Turks," neatly and systematically, (if any systematism is possible in the Balkans), when some foreigners who didn't like things done that way turned up. The foreigners started feeding the Moslems, sending them medicine, dropping it by parachute or transporting it by trucks over land which is "65% Serbian property," as Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic would say. For Bosnian Serb army officers schooled in the spirit of mistrust of strangers, in the famous Communist traditions of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), the very appearance of strangers who are also (as they were told) Catholics (the difference between Catholics and Protestants

has not yet been grasped by the ideologists of religious hatred in Serbia), are a horrifying phenomenon. They even fly across the sky which, as is known, is a "Serbian blue." On the other hand, however, these followers of Karadzic suddenly feel uncomfortable: they are not too proud of what they are doing in the field and they don't boast much about it. For reasons which some interpret as a bad conscience, the Bosnian Serb authorities tolerate, though with difficulty, the ferrying of aid to Moslems who have not yet been ethnically cleansed from eastern Bosnia, Sarajevo, Tuzla and other places. They see that the rest of the world cares about this, they understand that for some reason the rest of the world does not share their attitude towards Moslems, and have decided to ease up a little.

This conciliatory stand took on the form of a Bosnian Serb army general staff command on the "regulating of convoy movements through the Serbian Republic in Bosnia-Herzegovina," made in early April. The convoys must be announced to the general staff 24 hours ahead; the announcement must contain all the usual details, and the "receivers of aid (Serbs, Croats, Moslems and others)." Convoys which have not been announced and which "arrive earlier, will not be allowed to enter Serbian Republic in Bosnia-Herzegovina territory under any circumstances." A "complete and detailed" check of the cargo, arms and ammunition and technical equipment of the staff, the quantity of fuel in the reservoirs and canisters, is foreseen. "Convoys bringing aid to Moslems and Croats are subject to complete control," says a special article of the order. Another article says: It is strictly forbidden for convoys carrying humanitarian aid to transport journalists, photo-reporters, TV crews and other persons without the accreditation and permission of the Bosnian Serb army general staff"... including "the bringing in and use of radio and video and other technical equipment." The use of "combat and other vehicles" is banned, because the Bosnian Serb army general staff "guarantee the security of convoys in Bosnian Serb territory." "Germans from any state cannot be among the staff of the convoy in any capacity," says the order, not specifying who will determine a person's German origins. "Convoys bringing aid to Moslems and Croats, which travel through Bosnian Serb territory must pay fuel expenses and the expenses for men and vehicles" (engaged as escort). Reimbursement is not required for convoys bringing aid to the Serbian Republic in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In early April this year, the Bosnian Serb army general staff came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to organize the business of humanitarian convoys of the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations passing through territory controlled by the Bosnian Serb army. The lateness is understandable in a way: the very idea that someone should start supplying Moslems with food and medicine is intolerable to an ideology of national exclusivity and men conducting a war in a medieval manner - with the siege of towns, and the massacre of civilians whose only fault lies in having different names. They had just started to kill off all the "Turks," neatly and systematically, (if any systematism is possible in the Balkans), when some foreigners who didn't like things done that way turned up. The foreigners started feeding the Moslems, sending them medicine, dropping it by parachute or transporting it by trucks over land which is "65% Serbian property," as Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic would say. For Bosnian Serb army officers schooled in the spirit of mistrust of strangers, in the famous Communist traditions of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), the very appearance of strangers who are also (as they were told) Catholics (the difference between Catholics and Protestants

has not yet been grasped by the ideologists of religious hatred in Serbia), are a horrifying phenomenon. They even fly across the sky which, as is known, is a "Serbian blue." On the other hand, however, these followers of Karadzic suddenly feel uncomfortable: they are not too proud of what they are doing in the field and they don't boast much about it. For reasons which some interpret as a bad conscience, the Bosnian Serb authorities tolerate, though with difficulty, the ferrying of aid to Moslems who have not yet been ethnically cleansed from eastern Bosnia, Sarajevo, Tuzla and other places. They see that the rest of the world cares about this, they understand that for some reason the rest of the world does not share their attitude towards Moslems, and have decided to ease up a little.

This conciliatory stand took on the form of a Bosnian Serb army general staff command on the "regulating of convoy movements through the Serbian Republic in Bosnia-Herzegovina," made in early April. The convoys must be announced to the general staff 24 hours ahead; the announcement must contain all the usual details, and the "receivers of aid (Serbs, Croats, Moslems and others)." Convoys which have not been announced and which "arrive earlier, will not be allowed to enter Serbian Republic in Bosnia-Herzegovina territory under any circumstances." A "complete and detailed" check of the cargo, arms and ammunition and technical equipment of the staff, the quantity of fuel in the reservoirs and canisters, is foreseen. "Convoys bringing aid to Moslems and Croats are subject to complete control," says a special article of the order. Another article says: It is strictly forbidden for convoys carrying humanitarian aid to transport journalists, photo-reporters, TV crews and other persons without the accreditation and permission of the Bosnian Serb army general staff"... including "the bringing in and use of radio and video and other technical equipment." The use of "combat and other vehicles" is banned, because the Bosnian Serb army general staff "guarantee the security of convoys in Bosnian Serb territory." "Germans from any state cannot be among the staff of the convoy in any capacity," says the order, not specifying who will determine a person's German origins. "Convoys bringing aid to Moslems and Croats, which travel through Bosnian Serb territory must pay fuel expenses and the expenses for men and vehicles" (engaged as escort). Reimbursement is not required for convoys bringing aid to the Serbian Republic in Bosnia-Herzegovina.