Australian Department oF Foreign Affairs and Trade Press Release BOSNIA

MT105

14 July 1995

BOSNIA

The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob McMullan, today condemned in the strongest terms the upsurge of violence in the Bosnian conflict as manifested in the Bosnian Serb capture of the United Nations designated safe area of Srebrenica, the attacks on Zepa, and the associated blatant acts of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim population.

Senator McMullan reiterated that it was the view of Australia and all responsible international opinion that the tragic conflict in the former Yugoslavia could not be resolved by military means.

"As is clear from the deplorable fate of the population of Srebrenica, once again it is the innocent civilians who suffer most in such situations," Senator McMullan said.

Resort to military force by any party to the conflict offered no solution and , indeed, seriously complicated the peace efforts being pursued by the United Nations.

"It is time for the parties to return to the negotiating table with a genuine commitment to bring an end to this conflict.".

Senator McMullan expressed concern that the fall of Srebrenica also raised critical questions about the future role of United Nations humanitarian and peace-keeping activities in the former Yugoslavia. Further detention of UNPROFOR personnel by the Bosnian Serbs was totally unacceptable. Senator McMullan noted that on 12 July the United Nations Security Council had called, inter alia, on the UN Secretary General to use all resources available to him to restore the status of the safe area of Srebrenica, in accordance with the mandate of UNPROFOR, and called on the parties to cooperate to that end.

Australia is not a participant in the United Nations' peace-keeping operations in the former Yugoslavia and is not a member of the Security Council, but has instructed its representatives to be in a position to lend support to any appropriate initiatives which may be proposed in other UN bodies. Western European countries and others with troops on the ground, along with the United States and Germany, working with the Security Council, are the key now in deciding on the next steps for international action in Bosnia.

Senator McMullan concluded that, until the political will to reach a negotiated settlement was manifested by all parties to the conflict, it was hard to see how the situation in Bosnia could be resolved.

Further information: John Flannery, (06) 277 7420