 |
Republica Srpska
Following a meeting in Pale between NATO Secretary - General, Javier
Solana, NATO European Commander, General
George Joulwan, and acting Bosnian Serb President, Biljana Plavsic, on 12 August, the Republika Srpska (RS) Army
finally agreed to an IFOR inspection of a military site near Han Pijesak. Earlier that day, IFOR Ground Forces
Commander, Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Walker, had announced that he was withdrawing his liaison team from
Pale and cancelling a meeting in Banja Luka scheduled for 13 August with General Ninkovic, Head of the RS Army
Air Force, as an indication of the gravity of the incident, which Lt. Gen. Walker denounced as a "serious and
unambiguous violation of the Dayton [Peace] Agreement".
In conjunction with the military action, IFOR imposed a flight ban on all RS Army flights until further notice,
and all NGOs and international civilian organisations were recommended to withdraw their foreign staff from the
RS as soon as possible.
Brussels
Representatives of the Contact Group member-states met in Brussels on 12 August where issues on the post election
framework were discussed. At the meeting the High Representative, Carl Bildt, made the point that "everything up
to now had been easy compared with what will happen after the elections", in reference to the planned process of
setting up joint and democratic institutions after the elections.
Since the establishment of the Office of the High Representative to oversee and advise on all aspects of the
civilian implementation of the Peace Agreement, work in this regard has been ongoing in the form of Joint
Civilian Commissions and Working Groups.
The executive committee of the Contact Group will hold a Steering Board meeting in Brussels on 5 September.
Brcko Arbitration
In the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BH, the Federation and the Republika Srpska agreed to binding
arbitration of the disputed portion of the Inter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL) in the Brcko area. In accordance
with this, the Federation appointed Professor Sadikovic and the RS appointed Dr. Popovic as arbitrators. Roberts
Owen was appointed by the President of the International Court of Justice as third arbitrator and will serve as
the presiding arbitrator of the Brcko Arbitration Tribunal. The Tribunal's work will be based upon provisions of
Annex 2, Ariticle V, of the General Framework Agreement.
On 7 August, the Arbitration Tribunal undertook an orientation tour in the Brcko area and held its first
organisational and scheduling meeting. Dr. Popovic, the arbitrator named by the Republika Srpska, declined to
attend, asserting that an additional technical step was necessary before the first meeting.
As is usual in international arbitrations, all of the arbitral proceedings have been, and will be, conducted in
camera, and the discussions during such proceedings will not be publicly disclosed. As the Tribunal's
proceedings continue, the Office of the High Representative will make such announcements on behalf of the
Tribunal as may be appropriate.
Elections
The Provisional Election Committee issued rules for political parties and candidates concerning the campaign
period. The guidelines are consistent with work done by the Human Rights Coordination Centre - led working group
on elections, and cover issues including display of campaign posters and other materials, and party
rallies/meetings.
The OSCE expressed concern about statements
from the RS which claim their right to assert sovereignty as an
independent state and called for all sides to adhere to the spirit and letter of the General Framework Agreement
in order that the highest level governing bodies
may achieve legitimacy and acceptance by the International Community.
Economic Assistance
Three truckloads of IBM computers have arrived in Sarajevo, bought by the European Commission as part of its
Essential Aid Programme (EPA) to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The computers, part of an ECU 4.5 million grant to
assist government institutions, will be distributed to ministries at State, Federation and Republika Srpska
level. The European Commission is also paying for the computer training of three hundred people through a local
company, Bosnian Business Systems. IBM will train the local network managers.
In MND (N) (Multi-National Division North) Danish troops delivered food, clothing and medical supplies to the
hospital and social centre in Doboj, as well as the refugee camp and Red Cross Centre in Maglaj.
The Centre for Social Work opened on Telceva Street in East Mostar. Total investment in the European Union
Administration project (EUAM) was 403,000 DM. The EUAM also financed 605,000 DM for repairs to the exterior of
the Clinical Hospital Centre in West Mostar.
The Save the Children Fund (UK) has secured ODA (Overseas Development Agency) funding for six months in the Banja
Luka region for the following areas: family support; assistance to
social care and health institutions; and social welfare.
Mine Issues
A regional Mine Action Centre (MAC) office has now been established in Mostar and four dog handlers from Mostar
are currently undergoing instruction at the Brus Training Centre. The international staffing of the Mine Action
Centre (MAC) should be complete by the end of August.
The MAC database is now fully operational and capable of producing up to date records of all known minefields in
BH.
To date, MAC Mine Awareness Training Officers have conducted training for over 550 people, including
international personnel from eighteen organisations as well as local children.
Progress has been made on various projects funded by the World Bank, the European Commission and the U.S.
Government. The World Bank let a contract to two local companies to check 400 reconstruction project sites to
ensure that the presence of mines will not impede reconstruction work. Work has already begun and several project
sites have been certified clear.
The next Mine Clearance Policy Group will meet on 14 August at the Office of the High Representative.
ICRC has started the second phase of its mine awareness campaign which includes
posters, radio and TV spots,
and training of local Red Cross Mine Awareness Officers who will work with the local communities informing the
population of mine dangers.
Human Rights
IPTF met with the forensic pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the body of a Bosniak man who died in police
custody in Banja Luka on 1 August. The pathologist cited the cause of death as massive internal injuries and
bleeding sustained from beatings with a blunt instrument. This information clearly contradicts assertions by the
local RS police that the man had died after jumping from the first floor window.
On 6 August, the Commission for Real Property Claims of Displaced Persons and Refugees officially opened its
Sarajevo Office. Created under Annex 7 of the Peace Agreement, the commission
intends to open additional offices in Mostar and Republika Srpska.
The Human Rights Coordination Centre (HRCC) led a session on 7 August with representatives of OSCE, IPTF, UNHCR,
UN Civil Affairs and IFOR to discuss the increasing number of "spontaneous" demonstrations which have taken
place, some of which have turned violent. Underlying causes and potential sources of the protests were reviewed
and suggestions for enhanced response mechanisms and intervention with local groups at the grass-roots level were
discussed. HRCC will be following up with the international organisations present to implement some of the
proposals.
In its statement of 9 August, the UN Security Council
(SC) noted its concern that the Parties are not implementing their commitments in respect of human rights and
that these failures are impeding the return of refugees in BH. Among other steps, the statement calls on the
parties to take the measures highlighted in the High Representative's June Human Rights Report to reverse the
trend of ethnic separation, and urges the development of new independent media as well as the preservation of
property rights. The SC also reaffirmed its demand for full cooperation with the Tribunal, including the transfer
of all indicted persons to the Hague.
Refugee and Humanitarian Affairs
The Commission for Real Property Claims of Displaced Persons and Refugees met from 5 - 7 August. Decisions were
made on finalising questionnaires and organising a testing period. Principal decisions were made concerning the
timing of the campaign launch, which will be immediately after the elections, and the utilisation of existing
infrastructure for launching the campaign both nationwide and abroad. The Commission will meet again in one
month.
The Expert Group on Exhumations and Missing Persons met on 12 August. Issues discussed included the Joint Expert
Commission on Exhumations (Banja Luka), the antemortem database, the International Commission on the Missing, and
fund raising possibilities.
Freedom of Movement
The UNHCR decided to resume its Sarajevo area bus routes
on 9 August after a day long suspension of services. IPTF and IFOR recommended the suspension because of
heightened ethnic tension following a shooting incident in Dobrinja on 7 August, in which a Serb police officer
was seriously injured when shots were fired from the Federation side.
Looking Ahead
- 13 August: JCC West, Banja Luka
- 14 August: US Secretary of State, Warren Christopher meets in Geneva with Presidents of
Croatia, BH and Serbia. Carl Bildt will participate in the discussions.
- 20 August: JCC South meeting to be held in Siroki Brijeg.
See our Calendar for a full list of activities
The OHR Bulletin is produced by the Public Affairs Department of the Office
of the High Representative in Sarajevo and aims to give an overview of what is
happening on the ground in the civilian implementation of the Dayton Agreement.
Suggestions and contributions are welcome and
should be addressed to the Public Affairs Department of the Office of the High
Representative in Sarajevo (387-71) 447 275 ext. 562, Fax (387-71) 447 420. Callers from outside BH dial via
Brussels switchboard:
Tel. (32-2) 737 7500 & Fax (32-2) 737 7501
OHR Bulletin nr. 14, issued 13 August 1996.
|
