HC Deb 09 December 1994 vol 251 cc424-5W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration was given by the United Nations to declaring a safe area in north-west Bosnia to protect the dissident Bosnian Muslim population from attack by Bosnian Muslim troops supporting the Muslim Government in Sarajevo.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The United Nations has no plans to create any additional safe areas.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the United Nations to disarm the Bosnian Muslims troops in the Gorazde exclusion zone.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

United Nations troops were deployed to Gorazde in April 1994 under Security Council Resolution No. 836, to deter attacks against the safe areas, to monitor the ceasefire, and to promote the withdrawal of military units other than those of the Government of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In the absence of any agreement between the parties to move towards demilitarisation of Gorazde, UNPROFOR is not mandated to disarm troops of either party.

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