Brent Sadler, CNN Correspondent
July 20, 1995
10:15 AM EDT
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Another U.N. "safe area" has fallen to Bosnian Serb forces. Today, Bosnian Serbs claimed the town of Zepa after civilians apparently surrendered without formal approval of the government.
Working on the assumption that the battle for Zepa is over following a negotiated settlement, the United Nations is focusing on the prospect of another flood of refugees.
U.N. officials also have grave concerns about the condition of surrender -- which stated that all Muslim men betwen ages 18 and 55 would be detained as POWs for a possible prisoner exchange within the next two weeks. "[We are] extremely concerned," said U.N. spokesman Alexander Ivanko. "Especially in light of what has happened in Srebrenica, and especially in the light of reports from the refugees of men being executed." Ivanko continued, "I think it is very disturbing that the Bosnian Serb army once again wants to start dividing the population and basically rounding up males. It's very worrying and disturbing."
In Tuzla, thousands of refugees from Srebrenica have already stretched the limited services of U.N. workers. Some 15,000 civilians from Zepa could soon be on their way.
Human rights monitors are still taking testimonies from the refugees about their treatment -- not only from those who were taken out by Bosnian Serb transport, but the many others who escaped through Serb-held territory. Officials say their uncorroborated evidence is shocking.
Said UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski, "They tell us about being ambushed by Bosnian Serb soldiers dressed in U.N. uniforms, luring the civilians out of the woods, and Bosnian Serb soldiers wearing blue helmets, U.N. uniforms, using a bull- horn to tell the people to get out of the woods...Then lining them up on the road and shooting them. We have no evidence on this, only the testimony of the people we spoke to."
![[Imagemap]](/WORLD/Bosnia/images/bosnia_nav.gif)
Copyright © 1995 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.