Moslem and Croat members walked out of the Republika Srpska National
Assembly last week when the Bosnian Serb deputies elected to deny them
voting rights. The deputies justified their act saying that because the
Moslem and Croat parliamentarians, from the SDA, Party for BiH and the
Joint List, had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Republika
Srpska, they had no right to participate in the assembly's decision
making. The Moslem and Croat deputies had objected to elements of the
Solemn Declaration which related to the Serbs' traditional Orthodox
Christian faith.
The Deputy HR, Michael Steiner, described this action as "unlawful" and "unconstitutional". In a letter to the RS Assembly Speaker Dragan
Kalinic, Ambassador Steiner demanded the revocation of this move adding
that "no democracy in the world tries to impose an oath with a religious
commitment on parliamentarians who cannot subscribe to this specific
commitment and forbids them otherwise to fulfill their parliamentarian
rights and duties".
OSCE
On 29 November, the President of the RS Biljana Plavsic signed in Banja
Luka an agreement for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) to supervise the preparation and conduct of elections for the municipal governing authorities. The signature followed consultations with the OSCE Head of Mission Ambassador Robert Frowick.
President Izetbegovic and President Zubak, on behalf of BiH and the
Federation of BiH respectively, had already signed the agreement on 22
October 1996.
The wording of the agreement is as follows:
"In order to promote free, fair and democratic elections and to lay the
foundations for representative government on all levels throughout
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in accordance with the General Framework
Agreement on Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska have agreed to request the OSCE
to extend its mission, and also that of the Provisional Election
Commission on the basis of the provisions defined in Annex 3, until the end of 1997 so as to supervise the preparation and conduct of elections for the municipal governing authorities."
The High Representative, Carl Bildt, attended the OSCE Summit in
Lisbon, Portugal, where he co-chaired a discussion on the activities of
international organisations in BiH in 1997.
NATO
NATO ambassadors agreed on 27 November to a timetable for a follow-on
force to replace the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) when its
mandate expires on 20 December. The ambassadors agreed that the new
force will stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina for no more than 18 months,
with reviews every six months to decide needed troop levels. It had been
previously agreed that the strength of the force would be approximately
30.000 troops. Speaking of the decision, Robert Hunter, the US
ambassador to NATO said that the agreement "reflects a recognition that
NATO can continue to play a constructive role".
Brcko
The Government of the Republika Srpska has announced it has withdrawn
from the Brcko arbitration process. In a letter dated 1 December to the
President of the Brcko Arbitration Commission, Roberts Owen, RS Prime
Minister Gojko Klickovic said the RS was "canceling" its decision to
name Dr. Vitomir Popovic its representative and member of the commission
and accused Owen of being partial to the Federation in seeking a
settlement.
Economic Assistance
The BiH Presidency reached an agreement during its session of 28
November regarding the proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the
Presidency of BiH and the European Commission on European Union-funded
economic reconstruction programmes in the amount of approximately 147
million ECU. President Izetbegovic signed the agreement on behalf of the three-member Presidency.
The grant will be used to fund five different programmes and projects,
the details of which have yet to be negotiated. It was agreed that any
objections to the allocation of the funds will be forwarded to the EU
Ambassador to BiH Donato Chiarini, who together with the working group
comprising Zlatko Hurtic, Drago Bilandzija and Spasoje Albijanic will
settle the balance of the allocation of the funds and forward its
proposal to the Presidency within 15 days.
United Nations
The United Nations launched an appeal last week for $544.7 million for
activities in the former Yugoslavia during 1997, covering the rebuilding
of homes and easing the return of refugees. The appeal, by 11 UN
agencies, is for hmanitarian activities in BiH, Croatia, the FRY and
Macedonia. $ 372 million are sought for Bosnia, where roughly two
million people now receive aid.
A year after the signing of the Peace Accord, only 250.000 of the
approximately 2 million displaced persons and refugees have returned to
their homes. In a statement appealing for funds, the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Sadako Ogata declared UNHCR's
intention to make 1997 "the year of return and organised repatriation".
UNHCR is seeking $236 million under the appeal. The agency intends to
continue to encourage returns to 22 target areas in BiH, where
considerable progress had been in rebuilding houses and water supply
systems, as well as increase the number of such areas and efforts to
protect returnees. "In cooperation with countries of asylum, UNHCR will
facilitate the return of refugees from abroad", the statement said,
adding that half of the $ 125 million budget for Bosnia would be
focussed on persons returning from abroad.
War Crimes Tribunal
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in
the Hague has passed its first sentence since it was set up by the UN
Security Council in May 1993. Drazen Erdemovic, a Croat who confessed to
taking part in the Bosnian Serb Army's killing of unarmed Moslems at the
UN safe haven of Srebrenica in July 1995 was sentenced to 10 years in
jail. Reading the verdict, presiding judge Claude Jorda said the
three-judge panel had taken into account the accused's age, low military
rank and "full and unconditional" cooperation with the prosecution.
Freedom of Movement
The Principals of the international organizations charged with
implementing the Peace Accord in BiH have lifted the suspension of
procedures for returns and reconstruction in the Zone of Separation on
26 November. The suspension was introduced following armed clashes
between Bosniac returnees and RS police in the village of Gajevi in
which one man was killed and several others wounded. The Principals
communicated
their decision in a joint letter to the three Members of the Presidency,
also taking the opportunity to remind them of their responsibilities in
ensuring the strict compliance with the measures and cooperation of the
relevant local authorities.
Refugees and Displaced Persons
The Coalition for Return met for the second time under the chairmanship
of the Principal Deputy High Representative Ambassador Steiner in Mostar
on 23-24 November. The meeting was attended by 60 representatives of
displaced persons and refugees associations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and FRY.
The participants endorsed a declaration calling on displaced persons and
refugees to join a broad movement for return, also expressing their
conviction that people would only be able to return if they helped
others to do the same.
The Coalition, comprising associations and communities in both entities
of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Bosanski Brod, Brcko, Capljina,
Derventa, Drvar, Glamoc, Gradacac, Grahovo, Jajce, Modrica, Mostar,
Prijedor, Samac, Sarajevo, Sanski Most, Stolac and Tuzla
was set up against a backdrop of a recent escalation in the destruction
of unoccupied houses through the systematic planting of mines and
through burning and other practices calculated to prevent the return of
displaced persons and refugees to their homes.
Strongly condemning such acts of destruction, the Coalition adopted a
working plan which includes, among other things, the establishing of
fact-finding teams to investigate the conditions for return in
particular areas and a strategy planning group which will make
recommendations to international organizations and to relevant
authorities concerning the return
of refugees and displaced persons, and which will be consulted regularly
by the OHR in coordination with UNHCR.
Eleven representatives were nominated to coordinate the next meeting of
the Coalition which will take place in three weeks time. The aim of
this meeting will be to make operational the proposals for action that
were endorsed in Mostar.
Human Rights
During her most recent mission to the region, from 21-27 November, the
UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Elisabeth Rehn visited Velika
Kladusa, Bihac, Sanski Most, Prijedor, Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Tuzla and
Bugojno, where she was accompanied by the
Federation Ombudsman. At a press conference in Sarajevo, Ms. Rehn drew
attention to the failure of local police in many locations to properly
uphold the rule of the law especially condemning the presence of
indicted war criminals on the Prijedor police force. Referring to her
visits to sites of recent problems in the Zone of Separation, the
Special Rapporteur noted the lack of will to implement Annex 7 of the
Peace Agreement. Ms. Rehn also met during her mission with a number of
prisoners who have been held for unacceptable lengths of pre-trial
detention.
Freedom of Movement
The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) is currently
updating its Directory of Humanitarian Organizations in former
Yugoslavia. All non-governmental organizations and other humanitarian
agencies who wish to be listed in the revised Directory are encouraged
to complete and return a Directory Questionnaire by December 9th. For a
copy of the Questionnaire, please contact ICVA Sarajevo, 387 71 668
297/298. The updated version of the Directory will be released in
mid-January 1997.
Freedom of Movement
The Open Broadcast Network/TVIN Governing Council met in Brussels 25
November to examine the current situation and discuss future perspectives for the network and its possible needs. The Council was briefed extensively on proposals, prepared by the Project Assistance Team (PAT), for the development of a centrally- run affiliate-based network with the network's News & Programming Director, Kosta Jovanovic, outlining programming ideas and plans, backed by a video presentation of the current output. A detailed budget will be developed before the end of the year, together with more detailed proposals on network structure. Also discussed was the progress achieved in setting up an affiliate station in the RS (Banja Luka) and plans for expanding coverage.
It was agreed that the PAT, in consultation with OHR, would continue to
keep donors regularly updated on progress in building the new consolidated structure ahead of the new round of pledges for the second phase of the project which are likely to be sought at the next Governing Council meeting in January 1997.
Looking Ahead
- 2-3 December:
- OSCE Summit, London
- 3-5 December:
- Plenary Meeting on Succession Issues for the former
Yugoslavia, London
- 4-5 December:
- Full Meeting of the PlC, London
See our Chronology 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. 27, issued 02 December 1996.
