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Decisions on Mostar
Sarajevo, 12 February 1997
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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.
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