14 December 97, 19:30
Sarajevo – An agreement on dual citizenship which was signed yesterday by Momcilo Krajisnik, BiH Presidency member and Milan Milutinovic, FRY MoF in Belgrade is not valid and not obligatory since only the BiH Presidency has the right to deal with international agreements, the OHR announced clearly. I said already yesterday, when I heard about Krajisnik’s talks with Milutinovic, that this agreement is formally not correct. Such documents require the establishment of diplomatic relations between two countries, Hanns Schumacher, HR Senior Deputy told the media. The Constitution doesn’t forbid something like that and we have no problems with it. We are worried about the way it was done, Simon Haselock, OHR Spokesman said.
2:00
Belgrade’ s Agreement will not reach further than to the place it has been signed, it has been used only as a pre election balloon for Milosevic’s candidate, Milutinovic, informs a source in Belgrade as well as Oslobodjenje. It has no special importance, commented independent media in Belgrade. The State Department did not register Krajisnik’s activity in Belgrade in their daily reporting.
1:30
The two day long meeting of the BiH Coalition for return ended with the message that the year 1998 is a year of the return for the refugees and that they have to be treated under the same law and conditions. In order to avoid last years situation when 16.2 % refugees returned to Federation and only, 0.2 % to RS, the HR will use his expanded mandate granted at the Bonn Conference. On the second day of the General meeting Dr Christian Schwarz Schilling, Federation Mediator addressed the conference pointing out that this is the most courageous and the most important initiative in the country. He said that last year the returnee results were disappointing, then only 30.000 refugees returned to the regions where they were a minority. Now all cantons have to make their plans for refugee returns and stick to them.
3:30
The September local elections enabled the expelled Bosniaks after seven years to visit their homes in Prijedor, Kozarac, Bos. Novi and Bos. Gradiska in RS. In these towns now live Serbs from Pakrac, Livno, Kljuc and Sanski Most. They know that Bosniaks will come back – they do not mind, but they do not mention that they will go back to their homes. Footage of the returnees in Bos.Novi or Bosniaks Guernica as a reporter put it
2:30
Out of 136 municipalities, 132 have held constitutional sessions of the Municipality Councils. Problems in implementing the election results are continuing in Drvar, Veliak Kladusa, Bos. Petrovac, Zepce and Srebrenica. Follows a reportage from Srebrenica mentioning only in one sentence the 5.5 years of a planetary tragedy which hit this little town. A current uncertainty presses on these people – most of them might be left without a roof over their heads. The Federal authorities have not even a program for their new accommodation, not to mention that of the return to their own homes. Footage of the masses accommodated under tents living without any help in terms of food, heating and clothing. They complain against the authorities who only visit them just before elections. Footage showing a mother whose five sons were killed in the war, as well as a young man who lost his whole family: three children , brother and father. They don’t even have a wish to complain about anything.
2:00
Everything that happened in BiH during the aggression, was planned and organised on the highest level in Serbia. The Institute for the war crimes investigation possesses the valid facts. Punishment of the war criminals is one prerequisites for refugee return and reconciliation of the peoples, as well a guarantee for prevention of new clashes, Smail Cekic, Director of the Institute told the media. Some of the criminals are not only unafraid of punishment, they even put themselves forward as candidates for the president of their countries, he concluded.
1:50
According to the information of the Association for Threatened Peoples from Goetingen, the Hague Tribunal has evidence of participation in the war crimes in BiH, by Presidential candidate in Serbia, Vojislav Seselj. As a leader of the Serb para military formations, he took part in the ethnic cleansing, mass tortures and killings in the 34 municipalities in BiH. His units took part in the mass killings of 3.500 people in Bratunac, 6.000 in Brcko, 11.000 in Prijedor, 3.000 in Visegrad, 2.000 in Zvornik and 2.000 in Bijeljina, reads a statement from the Association.
2:30