ANGOLA / ex-YUGOSLAVIA
BOSNIA — confusion in the peace camp
THE November 4-6 international peace movement conference, held in Ohrid in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, failed to develop a common strategy to end the war in former Yugoslavia. In their final resolution, 400 participants from over 20 European states effectively called for European military intervention in the region.
On the positive side, the conference demonstrated that European governments, the UN and the EC are so conscious of their impotence and confusion over former Yugoslavia that they are increasingly open to the initiatives and propositions of the peace movement. The Council of Europe even helped finance the conference.
Unfortunately, the decline in the west European left and the peace movement makes many peace activists increasingly uncritical of initiatives from the major powers.
A good indication of the new partnership between the Council of Europe and some parts of the Western peace movement was the final resolution of the conference which demanded "UN/EC protected zones in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the UN protected areas of Croatia" where "discussion about the future political status of these areas" will be "suspended...until normal life has been restored and the atmosphere of fear has been removed". In these protectorates Western soldiers would ensure "demilitarization, the restoration of justice and impartial administration [and] the reconstruction of economic, social and civic life"
This demand for "protectorates from below" over Bosnia-Herzegovina and one third of Croatia (plus further "local zones" as the conflict inevitably spreads following Western intervention) is presented as a "civic network" project "which could build on existing twinning relationships of many European towns with towns in these areas as well as on numerous civic networks".
The final resolution invokes the magic combination "United
Nations" and "civic initiatives" several times as a kind of mantra for peace and success.
Unfortunately there are no such magic solutions for suffering
Bosnia. The peace movement should think again - Adam
Novak.*
Just released
AL-MITRAQA, no.9
THE Arabic review of the Fourth
International's sections and groups
•••• in the Arab region.
49 ad
In this issue:
• A dossier on Morocco, including a discussion with Abraham
Serfaty;
• Articles on the crisis of the left in Tunisia and Lebanon;
• The situation in Jordan and
• An interview with an Egyptian working class leader.
Al-Mitraqa can be obtained from the same address as International Viewpoint.
Single copies: 25 French francs;
bulk orders 20FF per copy. Sub-
Loji scription (three issues): 100FF. Payment details as for International
Viewpoint.
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