BOSNIA: SERBS STILL FIREBOMB THEIR HOMES IN SARAJEVO SUBURB

(10 Mar 1996) Eng/Serbo-Croat/Nat Serbs are still firebombing their homes and apartment blocks in the Sarajevan suburb of Ilidza, despite the increased presence of IFOR troops. NATO officials have tried to reassure the remaining Serb residents that it will be safe to stay under Bosnian Federation control. But the Serbs are only listening to the message of their political leaders: “No one can protect you“. Another night, another fire bombing in the Serb suburb of Ilidza in Sarajevo. Only this time the house wasn't empty. 70 year old Marko Zivkovic had a lucky escape when his apartment was set on fire while he was sleeping. He managed to get out of the blazing flat but his wife was inside. “Have you seen my wife?“ he asked. When Marko realised that his wife was not coming out, he rushed back into the blazing building to save her. He then risked his life to save documents and family photos from the burning apartment. His neighbours were glad to see him emerge again. Thousands of Serbs have abandoned Ilidza, which is to be handed over to the Muslim-Croat federation on Tuesday. A town hall meeting with senior NATO and U.N. officials Saturday attracted only about 100 Serbs, most of them elderly. French IFOR troops arrived and checked the building to see if anyone else was trapped inside. There wasn't and the troops then set about putting out the blaze. Some people in Ilidza -- mainly the young-- are delighted with the burning because they do not want to leave anything usable to the Muslim-Croat federation authorities when the suburb is returned to their control. Serb intimidation gangs have been blamed for several arson attacks and at least one murder in the security vacuum that has developed in Ilidza and in Grbavica, a Sarajevo neighbourhood that becomes federation territory on March 19th. U-N and NATO officials say Serb gangs apparently are being directed by the hard-line leadership in the Serb stronghold of Pale, which wants to create ethnically segregated areas as proof that Serbs, Muslims and Croats cannot live together. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: