Regarding this morning’s events, and the crowds gathered in various parts of the town, Brcko Supervisor Robert Farrand asks that all citizens disperse peacefully and return to their homes.
The key objective of the Office of the Deputy High Representative and the Brcko Supervisor is to bring about a democratic society under the rule of law in Brcko. As such OHR condemns all acts of violence.
Such mob actions as these we have seen today are self-defeating and not in keeping with the Dayton Peace Accord or the Arbitral Award for Brcko.
The Supervisor met this morning with Brcko municipal authorities, Radislav Bogicevic, President of the Executive Board of the Brcko Municipality; Mladen Bosic, President of the Serb Democratic Party in Brcko; and Simo Kojic, Former president of the Serb Democratic Party and member of the RS National Assembly. The Supervisor has made clear to these officials that he holds the local authorities responsible for any violence that occurs and asks that they urgently seek to calm the situation.
The Supervisor condemns the provocative tone currently employed by local media and the language which incites violence against SFOR and the international community. Such behaviour by the media is outrageously irresponsible and dangerous, and those who are using inflammatory comments will be held responsible.
The Supervisor calls for calm, as he and the relevant authorities work to resolve the current tensions which are in no one’s interest, except those bent on destroying the Dayton Peace process.