Despite a New Cease-Fire, Bosnia Fighting Continues

Bosnian Serbs and Muslims battled Saturday near the eastern Muslim enclave of Gorazde, despite a nationwide cease-fire and the presence of U.N. monitors, two of whom were wounded.

Smaller-scale clashes between Croats and Muslims also were reported in central and southern Bosnia a day after the scheduled start of a truce signed by the military commanders of all three ethnic factions.

It is the fourth attempt at a truce covering all of Bosnia. All previous local and nationwide cease-fire agreements have collapsed quickly.

Bosnian radio reported that troops in the Muslim stronghold of Tuzla had threatened to unleash chemical weapons if the siege of Gorazde was not lifted by today. Threats to use chemical weapons have been made by Bosnian officials, including President Alija Izetbegovic, since last fall.

A U.N. monitor from Norway was wounded in the chest by gunfire at a village outside Gorazde at midday, said Maj. Jose Gallegos, a U.N. spokesman in Sarajevo. A Finnish monitor and a Bosnian translator suffered minor wounds, Bosnian radio said.

In another incident, Spain’s Defense Ministry said four Spanish peacekeepers were missing and feared drowned Saturday after their vehicle plunged off a bridge into the Neretva River north of Mostar in central Bosnia.

Elsewhere on Saturday:

* Ethnic Serbs in neighboring Croatia voted on uniting the third of that republic’s territory they control with the 70% of Bosnia held by Bosnian Serbs. A yes vote, as expected, could heighten tensions in Croatia.

* In Belgrade, capital of Serb-dominated Yugoslavia, about 10,000 opposition protesters clashed with police while demanding the release of their jailed leader, Vuk Draskovic, and the resignation of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. Draskovic and his wife, Danica, also a party activist, were arrested June 1 after a violent anti-government demonstration.

Sarajevo radio said eight soldiers loyal to Bosnia’s Muslim-led government died and 24 were wounded in Serbian attacks on Gorazde. The radio said there also were many civilian casualties during fighting it blamed on Serbs.

Gorazde is the last eastern enclave still held by Muslim forces and is one of six areas designated as safe zones for Muslims by the U.N. Security Council. A team of only eight U.N. cease-fire monitors was in Gorazde to watch developments in the enclave.