BOSNIAUK SITUATION UPDATE

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(28 Jun 1995) Eng/French/Nat • • One child was killed and four were injured on Tuesday when a Serb mortar slammed into an apartment block near the Presidency in Sarajevo. • • Earlier in the day, Bosnia's rival leaders refused to compromise on conditions for peace talks as Europe's new mediator suggested his mission was already doomed. • • Speaking in London, France's new Defence Minister, Charles Millon, said the U-N's new rapid reaction force will be used to 'move away obstacles' if UNPROFOR is unable to carry out its peacekeeping duties. • • The Serbs have been shelling Sarajevo in apparent retaliation for a government offensive launched June 15 to begin cracking the siege of the Bosnian capital. • • Yesterday (Tuesday), the Serbs carried on their attack in deadly earnest. • • Two shells slammed into downtown Sarajevo, killing an 11-year-old boy and wounding four other children. • • As residents watched, the injured were rushed to hospital. • • Bosnia's rival leaders said on Tuesday they would not compromise on seemingly irreconcilable conditions for peace talks, and Europe's new mediator suggested his mission was already doomed. • • Meanwhile in England , France's new Defence Minister was meeting his English counterpart, Malcolm Rifkind, for their first set of bilateral talks. • • Both France and the U-K have contributed to the new rapid reaction force and Millon made it clear that the troops would be ready for combat if necessary. • • SOUNDBITE: (French with English translator) • And when UNPROFOR finds it impossible to fulfill its mission the Rapid Reaction Force will then be mobilised to intervene and thus move away its obstacles and even be able to engage in combat so as to be able to ensure its peace mission which is that of UNPROFOR . • SUPERCAPTION: Charles Millon, French Defence Minister • • Rifkind said the new force will increase the options available to UNPROFOR's generals in Bosnia and will enable the force to respond more quickly to attacks. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • It will enable them to have far greater choices available to enhance the protection of UNPROFOR. If UNPROFOR comes under attack, they will be able to respond in ways that have not been possible up 'til now. They will have the ability to deploy quickly - by helicopter - additional forces, whereas in the past any reinforcements could only have come very slowly over many miles of difficult terrain. • SUPER CAPTION: Malcolm Rifkind, British Defence Minister • • The two ministers agreed the rapid reaction force will improve UNPROFOR's ability to defend itself and will enable U-N forces to carry out their mandate more effectively. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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