Decisions on Mostar
On 12 February, President Izetbegovic, President Zubak, Co-Chairman Silajdzic, Vice Chairman Tomic, Foreign Minister Prlic, HDZ President Rajic, SDA Vice President and Prime Minister Bicakcic, Mostar Mayor Prskalo and Deputy Mayor Orucevic met in Sarajevo to address the recent events in Mostar. The meeting was chaired by the Principal Deputy High Representative, Ambassador Steiner. Also present were COMSFOR General Crouch, Acting Police Commissioner Wasserman and Head of OHR South Garrod.The participants condemned in strongest terms the violent acts committed in Mostar and all provocative acts preceding the present crisis. They equally condemned the evictions of Mostar citizens and the harassments on the road to and from Mostar which followed the events of Monday. They deeply deplored the bloodshed and the loss of life of Mostar citizens. They expressed their condolences to the bereaved, and sympathy to those who were injured.
The participants committed themselves to undertake all efforts to calm down tensions, to overcome the present crisis and to fully implement existing Federation agreements, including the Mostar provisions of the Agreed Measures of the Federation Forum of 3 February. All of the facts must be established. They agreed that the recent acts of violence should not go unpunished and that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
The following decisions were taken:
- The participants reconfirmed the request to the UN IPTF to conduct an independent investigation into the events and to submit a report which should, in particular, identify those individuals responsible for the escalation of violence and the attacks on Mostar citizens. They took note of the fact that for this purpose the UN IPTF has established an independent investigation team on 11 February. Its findings will be submitted to the Principals of the Major Implementation Agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the Contact Group within one week.
- The participants committed themselves personally to ensure that the UN IPTF will receive all available evidence and that police forces will cooperate fully and in good faith in the conduct of the investigation. Local police shall comply with all demands by the investigation team and will assist the UN IPTF in all stages of the investigations, including by making all persons immediately available for interviews by he investigators. The operational responsibility for the provision of the evidence to the UN IPTF lies with the Mayor and his Deputy.
- The participants agreed that they would accept and endorse the report by the UN IPTF in full and that they would draw the necessary conclusions from it, in particular the following:
- Perpetrators will be arrested and brought to trial.
- Office holders including police found responsible of instigating or participating in violent acts will be dismissed from their offices.
- The participants guarantee that all citizens who have been evicted from their homes in the course of the recent events will be enabled to return to their apartments without delay. The participants will also give instructions that all persons responsible for illegal evictions are identified, arrested, and prosecuted. All illegal evictions will be stopped. The participants decided that the Cantonal Minister of Interior and his Deputy would be personally responsible for the implementation of this provision and submit full compliance reports to the Head of the OHR South by 18 February. The participants stressed their determination to dismiss those policemen from their duties who in the judgement of the UN IPTF do not cooperate in the implementation of this provision in good faith. They requested the UN IPTF to closely monitor the return of evicted citizens to their homes.
- The participants appealed to the UN IPTF and SFOR to keep an increased presence in Mostar until the situation has further stabilized and full freedom of movement is reestablished. They request the authorities that the nightly curfew should remain in place and be enforced by the local police forces of Mostar until UN IPTF determines that the security situation allows its suspension.
- The participants reconfirmed their commitment to the UPFM and will instruct the police in Mostar to fully participate in its work with immediate effect including the proper functioning of the joint headquarters.
- The participants took note of the fact that the carrying of long-barreled weapons by the police in Mostar is not authorized by the UN IPTF and that UN IPTF/SFOR will continue to confiscate these weapons from both police and civilians. The participants instructed the local police to immediately remove these weapons and hand them over to SFOR immediately.
- The participants reconfirmed their commitment to full freedom of movement in and around Mostar. They decided that all existing obstacles to freedom of movement and illegal checkpoints will be immediately removed and that the police forces will, upon the instruction and in cooperation with the UN IPTF and SFOR, have prosecuted those who hinder freedom of movement.
- The participants agreed to immediately reconnect the telephone lines between East and West Mostar and to keep those lines open.
- The participants deplored inflammatory statements in the media which has aggravated the situation and contributed considerably to the escalation of the crisis in Mostar. They committed themselves to show maximum restraint and to instruct the authorities of Mostar and the Herzegovina Neretva Canton to do likewise. Decisions of the Media Expert Commission of the Provisional Elections Commission on inflammatory statements will be implemented. The participants request the Canton Minister of Interior and his Deputy to nominate media liaison officers to the UN IPTF in Mostar who should disseminate, on a regular basis as appropriate, reliable information to the media on the security situation in the city.
- The Principal Deputy High Representative drew the attention of the participants to the request of the Presidency of the European Union and the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Conference of 21 January 1997 to the Office of the High Representative to identify those individuals responsible for human rights violations and for serious contravention to the letter and the spirit of the Peace Agreement with a view to barring their travel to Europe and overseas. He announced that on the basis of the findings of the UN IPTF report he would make recommendations to the EU Governments and to the Steering Board members accordingly.
- The participants agreed to monitor the situation in Mostar closely and to convene a follow-up meeting as soon as the UN IPTF report is submitted. The participants requested in particular the media covering the Mostar region to carry the text of this Agreement in full in their news reporting.
In case of any dispute regarding these Decisions, the English language shall prevail.