When she spoke with 15-year-old Mirzeta Gabelic, who lost her right leg below the knee seven months ago, Diana was in tears, said a Jesuit priest who was present.

Associated Press

August 10, 1997

By ALEXANDAR S. DRAGICEVIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Princess Diana wrapped up an emotional tour of Bosnia on Sunday by bringing her campaign to ban land mines to a shantytown on Sarajevo's outskirts. There, people poured into the streets to see her.

"What's happening?" shouted a child as the Princess of Wales and her entourage stepped out of vans and started walking up a dirt road to the neighborhood of Buca Potok, which sprouted around a city trash dump.

"Someone called Diana is moving in, I heard," his playmate responded from the next yard. Diana's trip, organized by the U.S.-based Land Mine Survivors Network, was meant to highlight the dangers of land mines. In Bosnia, the millions of land mines still littering the countryside more than a year and a half after war ended injure or kill about 70 people every month.

As she made her rounds in Bosnia, the princess, dressed in black jeans and a pink shirt with the sleeves rolled up, did not speak to the press. She appeared both to move and be moved by the families of land mine victims.

When she spoke with 15-year-old Mirzeta Gabelic, who lost her right leg below the knee seven months ago, Diana was in tears, said a Jesuit priest who was present.

"Diana started to cry when she heard about Mirzeta's story," said the Rev. Roberto Maryans, who helped Gabelic get a $1,500 prosthesis.

"I have never seen a princess before," Gabelic said in wonder to reporters gathered in front of her home.

Diana spent a half-hour with the Gabelic family. She then went to the U.N. Mine Action Center in downtown Sarajevo to see 10 youngsters from Sarajevo Children's Moving Theater, sponsored by UNICEF, perform a scene from their play on raising mine awareness among children. The children also sang songs and presented Diana with anti-mine posters.

Alexander Ivanko, the U.N. spokesman in Sarajevo, said Diana's visit was vital.

"What's important is to draw attention to the fact that we are lacking $16 million in mine efforts here, and without them we won't be able to train, equip and sustain de-mining activities," he said.

Diana left Sarajevo Sunday afternoon aboard a white Lear jet. Shortly before boarding the plane, she posed with about 50 French soldiers serving in the NATO-led peace force.

In Sarajevo on Saturday, the World Bank said it was financing a $16.2 million effort, with de-mining units on both the Serb and Muslim-Croat sides of the former front lines.

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