Sarajevo – US Ambassador Kauzlarich confirmed the US stance on BiH at a meeting with BiH President Izetbegovic. Discussing refugee return, Izetbegovic said that it was no longer a political, but a technical problem since the settlement of refugees must be enabled. – Kauzlarich also talked with CoM Co-chairman Silajdzic. The main issues were the design of BiH currency, Laws on citizenship and passports, and the functioning of the Joint Institutions of State. It was agreed that solving these problems would contribute to economic stability and peace for BiH citizens.
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Brcko – OHR Supervisor for Brcko, Farrand, and SFOR spokesman Maj. Riley said at today’s press conference that SFOR would continue patrolling, and that no violence towards the IC representatives would be tolerated. At the press conference, Maj. Riley and Farrand said that yesterday’s events were part of a conducted plan to disparage the importance of IC efforts in the DPA implementation. Riley said that there is simply no possibility that a mob of 1200 disoriented people can defeat the peace process in this city. He added that this was only a day lost in the peace process, but that the IC would not quit from further DPA implementation under any circumstances. Riley also said that injured Serbs were hurt by extremists on their own side.
- France Press reports that NATO officials ceased their vacations in order to discuss the matter of closing down the ultra-nationalist Serb media. Serb radio called people yesterday to act against the IC representatives, and recently, the SRT has depicted SFOR as an occupation force. Nato officials said that SFOR action to cease Serb media broadcasting was possible within the SFOR mandate.
- OHR spokesman McDowell said that the furious crowd had resulted in the departure of all UN personnel from Brcko. McDowell added that SFOR managed to evacuate 40 UN observers, while another fifty were expelled under very difficult circumstances. SFOR officials could not tell who was in control of the police station in Brcko, since IPTF personnel were evacuated yesterday. The ultra-nationalist municipality assembly announced the new chief of police in Brcko.
- Two explosions in Doboj occured last night. It was supposed that they are the result of power struggle between Karadzic’s supporters and opponents. IPTF spokesman Agnelli said there was some material damage but no human casualties.
- Reuters reports that the hard-liners from Pale will try to isolate Banja Luka in any possible way, including the cutting-off of electricity, the ceasing of railway and road traffic, and disturbance of the media. L.A. Times reports that Washington will support NATO in applying force, and will support Plavsic in her attempt to prevent a possible coup d’etat..
Mostar – OSCE Ambassador Frowick visited Mostar in order to discuss the election preparations and repeated delay in adoption of the amendments for the Canton Constitution. Regarding the failure of the session, Mostar Co-Mayor Orucevic said that if the amendments were not adopted at the next session, OHR and the USA would be asked to impose sanctions against the obstructers.
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Sarajevo – UN Special Envoy Eide talked with Presidency member Zubak about the police establishment in the Her/Ner Canton.
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Travnik – In a village nearby Travnik, a group of Bosniaks prevented 70 Croats from visiting their homes. After one hour of waiting, the Croats returned. The incident went without any violence due to the presence of SFOR, IPTF and the local police.
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Sarajevo – UNHCR spokesman Janowski said that significant progress had been made with the refugee return process to the Middle Bosnian Canton. Janowski said that the Federal authorities reported about 40 000 damaged houses in this canton that might receive up to 50 000 refugees. Janowski, considers the reparation of those houses to represent a serious problem.
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Banja Luka – As reported by NTV 99, a bomb explosion occured in BL at the railway station, near the Plavsic residency. One person was killed while several others were wounded.
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