THE FALL OF ABDIC [Main Title]

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  • Title: THE FALL OF ABDIC [Main Title]
  • Film Number: UNT 435
  • Other titles: UNITED NATIONS TELEVISION (UNTV) ZAGREB COLLECTION, YUGOSLAVIA [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: As the Bosnian Government forces finally defeated Fikret Abdić's breakaway mini-state, UNTV documented the flight of refugees.
  • Description: Pannings shot of Velika Kladuša in north-west Bosnia. Voiceover recaps recent events: the fall of Abdić’s rebel army to Bosnian Government forces resulted in the exodus of 25,000 people from the city across the Bosnian border and into Serbian-held territory. They were turned back at checkpoints before they reached the Croatian border. UNHCR swiftly set up refugee camps at Turanj, Batnoga and Staro Selo. Shots of the camp at Turanj. Interview with one woman who explains her journey to the camp. She also says that police officials told her to withdraw from Velika Kladuša. Interview with a man who had been part of the force opposing the Bosnian Government army, who says that when they withdrew a “multitude of people followed”. Shots of some of the 5,000 refugees queuing for water. One UN official says that though they have everything under control today, yesterday there were shortages of food and water. Shots of staff examining children in the medical clinic. Footage of refugees arriving on trucks at Batnoga refugee camp, twenty-five kilometres away. Interview with a refugee concerned that the facilities in the camp are not sufficient for the number of people being housed there. Whycliffe Songwa, a senior UN Official, in charge of coordinating supplies for the Batnoga camp, says that they too have had problems with supplying enough food for refugees that have been malnourished since their flight from Velika Kladuša. Shots of Songwa examining people’s documents that they hope will allow them entry into another country. Interview with Sergio Vieira de Mello, UNPROFOR Head of Civil Affairs, who says that UN mediation restrained the Fifth Corps. He says that they persuaded the advancing army to use minimum force and Abdić to retreat without engaging with the Bosnian Government army. Shots of Velika Kladuša and the people that stayed there. One old man said “I’m 81 years old, I’m old and I’m not going anywhere.” One UNHCR official in the city reports that the violence was very limited and no houses have been burnt. Closing shots of a busy refugee camp. The priority now has to be to persuade people to return to their homes. De Mello, the future should be “political competition not military fighting”.
  • Alternative Title: UNITED NATIONS TELEVISION (UNTV) ZAGREB COLLECTION, YUGOSLAVIA [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: English (Tape Code A)
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: UNT 435
  • Sound: Croatian (Tape Code C)
  • Access Conditions:
  • Featured Period: 1990-2000
  • Production Date: 1994-08 1994-08-26
  • Production Country: UN
  • Production Details: Balazova, Martina (Producer) Webb, Steve (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: English (Tape Code A) Sound format: Croatian (Tape Code C) Soundtrack language: Serbian (Tape D)
  • Technical Details: Format: Beta-SP Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Running time: 8 mins 55 secs
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    UNT 435

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    UNT 437 (UNTV PROGRAMME NO 9 [Main Title]) UNT 435 X (THE FALL OF ABDIC (UNEDITED RUSHES) [Allocated Title])
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