Peace in the Balkans comes slowly

Jackie Shymanski

September 30, 1995
Web posted at: 8:45 p.m. EDT (0045 GMT)

From Correspondent Jackie Shymanski

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- The main road into Sarajevo isn't safe, although a recent political agreement should have made it a safe journey for all.

Instead, it's a tragedy waiting to happen.

"Not only that road is mined, there's also booby traps," said U.N. spokesman Alexander Ivanko. "It's also prepared for demolition. There's a lot of dynamite under that road."

The United Nations expects it will take three weeks to make the road safe. An alternative roadway has been rejected by the Bosnians, who want the siege of Sarajevo lifted via the Serb- held thoroughfare.

For now, only a secondary route is open to select traffic. It's clogged by commercial trucks or U.N. traffic and checkpoints. The Bosnian government says that's not in keeping with the agreement for free and unimpeded access in or out of this city.

It's just one example of how precarious the U.S.-led peace initiative is. U.S. peace envoy Richard Holbrooke spent Friday and Saturday trying to clear the troubled path to peace in Bosnia.

"Progress has been made," he said. "Major progress. But we want to see the siege lifted, completely and fully."

Holbrooke also wants to get all sides to agree to a cease- fire. But before the Bosnian government lays down its arms, it is demanding the lifting of the siege of Sarajevo. Until that happens -- and other basic issues are resolved -- the fighting will continue.

"The fundamental issues of this war -- Sarajevo, Gorazde and a new political structure -- are all unresolved," Holbrooke said. "The two sides are very far apart. None of us is talking about an express-train momentum."

But still the U.S. envoy pushes on. Next stop is Belgrade. The Bosnian peace process is quickly becoming a step-by-step -- if not an inch-by-inch -- endeavor.

Peace in the Balkans comes slowly

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