January 28, 1996
Web posted at: 8:40 p.m. EST
From Correspondent Rob Reynolds
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- More than 70 Bosnian
government prisoners of war were released by Bosnian Serb
forces Sunday. The release brought together families
once ripped apart by war.
Anxious relatives, asking for word of their loved ones, crowded around the busses carrying the former POWs. And some were disappointed -- condemned once more to wait, and to nurture hope against the odds.
But for others there were moments of pure joy, like that
shown on the face of child reunited with her father.
The prisoners releases have been a contentious part of the Bosnian peace process, and heavy international pressure has been exerted on all sides to get this far.
A dispute broke out when a Bosnian government representative realized that three POWs on the International Red Cross list were held back. The Serbs say the three are being investigated for alleged war crimes.
"We will demand the release off all people, including these three prisoners," said Amor Masovic of the Bosnian POW Commission.
And there is dispute about just how many prisoners are being held. The Bosnian government claims the Serbs hold 1,800 prisoners. The Red Cross says it has confirmed the captivity of less than 100.
The disputes could prove an irritant in the continuing peace process, but those considerations seemed far from the minds of the men released on Sunday.
"The first thing I'll do now is have a cup of coffee," said
one former prisoner, who added that it would be his first in
seven months.
On Sunday, there was joy, and there was disappointment. Not
all of Bosnia's prisoners of war have been accounted for --
but the prisons are slowly emptying.
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