Soeharto ends Sarajevo trip safely

Soeharto ends Sarajevo trip safely

ZAGREB (JP): Alhamdulillah (All praise to Allah) was the first phrase uttered by President Soeharto when his plane from Sarajevo landed in Zagreb on Monday.

In fact, relief was all around as the plane carrying the President and his entourage to Zagreb touched down safely.

Officials accompanying the President uttered the same phrase, while security officers and Indonesian journalists awaiting his return in Zagreb greeted him with "Welcome back Mr. President".

The president, smiling, responded, "Thank you."

The four hours Soeharto spent in Sarajevo were a source of anxiety for the nation. All knew of the risk the President was taking by entering a city that has been under siege for the last three years and where snipers roam at will.

In Jakarta last Friday, Moslem preachers at various prayers called on all Indonesians to pray for the safety of the head of state.

Reports in Sarajevo said that the UN chartered plane had been shot at by snipers as it was landing to collect the President for his return to Zagreb. Apart from that, the rest of the President's visit was quiet and incident-free.

Despite an earlier guarantee by the United Nations missions in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina for their safety, the President and his 21-member entourage were still required to sign papers absolving the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) of responsibility for anything that may have happened to them on the way to Sarajevo.

Soeharto was also asked to don a bullet proof vest before boarding his flight to Sarajevo. An unconfirmed report suggested that he did away with the uncomfortable vest.

The limited space on the plane also meant that a number of Indonesia's special security forces sent to protect the President were not able to board the flight to Sarajevo.

Some 24 hours earlier, the plane that was carrying UN Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi was shot at as it was landing. No one was hurt but it momentarily threw Soeharto's trip into doubt.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, who was part of the presidential entourage, said the decision to go ahead with the trip was last-minute. "We had to be sure first about the situation there."

"It seemed like a long flight," Moerdiono recalled of the journey from Zagreb to Sarajevo.

Brave

"I can say that President Soeharto is very brave to travel to Sarajevo at this time," UNPROFOR director of information Michael Williams said before the flight left for Sarajevo.

Soeharto's decision to go ahead with the trip was to show Indonesia's support for Bosnia-Herzegovina in its war against the well-armed Bosnian Serb minority.

Soeharto also went there as chairman of the 111-nation Non- Aligned Movement (NAM).

Moerdiono said Soeharto went to Sarajevo to give Indonesian moral support to the Bosnian people in their fight against the Serb aggressors.

Also taking part in the trip to Sarajevo were Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and Nana Sutresna, the chief executive to the NAM Chairman. (riz)