UN Security Council Condemns Attack on Bangladeshi Peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina

The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned an attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the U.N.-declared safe-area of Bihac, Bosnia-Herzegovina, that killed one soldier and left four others wounded. The council warned those responsible that their heinous act of violence carries corresponding individual responsibility. The armored personnel vehicle in which the Bangledeshi soldiers were traveling was directly targeted by gunners who fired from an area of high ground. The U.N. was not certain which faction, whether rebel Muslims or Croatian Serbs, was responsible for the attack. The council endorsed a protest made by the U.N. Protection Force to the rebel Muslim forces as well as to the local Croatian and Bosnian Serbs.

Key Takeaways:

• The UN Security Council condemned the attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Bihac, Bosnia-Herzegovina, that killed one soldier and wounded four others.
• The council warned those responsible that the attack carries corresponding individual responsibility.
• The U.N. was not certain which faction was responsible for the attack, with rebel Muslims and Croatian Serbs being the suspected culprits.
• The armored personnel vehicle in which the Bangledeshi soldiers were traveling was directly targeted by gunners who fired from an area of high ground.
• The council endorsed a protest made by the U.N. Protection Force to the rebel Muslim forces as well as to the local Croatian and Bosnian Serbs.
• The U.N. ambassador from Bangladesh, Reaz Rahman, urged council members to take urgent and immediate action to deter continuing violations of safe area provisions and cross-border incursions.
• Rahman suggested the use of air power to halt artillery, mortar, and tank attacks.
• The council was unable to adopt a common position on the U.N. Security-General's recommendation to modify the current "safe-area" regime.
• U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali recommended modifying the current "safe-area" regime and suggested a series of intermediary measures to have them totally demilitarized.

Statistics:

• One Bangladeshi peacekeeper killed in the attack.
• Four Bangladeshi peacekeepers wounded in the attack.
• 15-nation council strongly condemned the attack.
• No warplanes were sent over the area due to darkness and lack of visibility.

Sources:

• "UN Security Council Condemns Attack on Bangladeshi Peacekeepers" (Dec. 13).
• U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's report on the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• U.N. ambassador from Bangladesh, Reaz Rahman's letter to the president of the council.