Bosnia Serbs to Close Key Route Into Sarajevo
In a harsh blow to peace prospects, Bosnian Serbs said Tuesday they would re-establish their stranglehold on Sarajevo, closing the only route civilians can use to enter and leave the city.
The surprise action, to take effect today, will deprive the Bosnian capital of a major food-supply route at a time when the U.N. airlift is indefinitely suspended. It will also end a four-month period of near normalcy for Sarajevo, the first since Serbs began a bombardment and siege in April, 1992.
In a letter to the U.N. peacekeeping force, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said the road was being closed because the Muslim-led government had violated the March agreement that opened the route.
He accused the government of using the road to smuggle arms and ammunition into Sarajevo. He also complained that government troops had been firing into Serbian territory and that the government had not honored agreements on prisoner exchanges.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
