It was meant to be a quiet afternoon visit to a city that has been pounded by bombs, to talk with residents and examine old damage. Instead, Mrs Mary Robinson yesterday saw first-hand what happens when a residential area is rained upon by anti-personnel cluster bombs.
It was just after 4 p.m. when Mrs Robinson's seven-car convoy was stopped just outside Nis. The city was in the midst of an attack, she was told. It was reported that two schools had been hit. Unexploded cluster bombs littered the city. While the military attempted to clear as much of the area ahead as possible, Mrs Robinson insisted that her visit go on.
Visiting Yugoslavia to examine allegations of human rights abuses but with criticisms being voiced in the US that her trip would merely give succour to President Slobodan Milosevic, Mrs Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, went to the southern Serbian city before a scheduled meeting with him today.
She seemed determined to talk to ordinary people about what they were undergoing, and how the war had affected their everyday lives.
During a chaotic afternoon in which her convoy was stopped three times as word continued of the renewed NATO attack on Nis, Mrs Robinson entered areas of the city before the all-clear was sounded, spoke to residents and inspected damage caused by cluster bombs, which are designed specifically to kill people.
At the time Mrs Robinson entered the mainly industrial city, Yugoslavia's third-largest, in mid-afternoon, the streets were mostly empty as people were still sheltering from the raid.
Windows in many buildings were blown out and according to the mayor, whom Mrs Robinson met, 10 people had been injured. Mrs Robinson moved on and her car stopped next by a grassy verge. However, an unexploded cluster bomb was spotted in the grass.
"There's another bomb here," someone shouted, and she moved down the street.
She was taken to a residential area where people were still being evacuated from an apartment block. They included an old, frightened woman who had to be helped to the footpath. Mrs Robinson said little but appeared stoical.
She returned to Belgrade where last night she was due to meet the Minister for Human Rights, Mr Margit Savovic, and humanitarian organisations.