The Agreement on Mostar achieved with the Ambassador Steiner’s help should be precisely interpreted, presented to the public and carried out, Colum Murphy, OHR Spokesman told a Press Conference today. The unbearable chauvinism of the Mafia in Mostar must be stopped, and this is a task for the police in west part of Mostar.
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None of representatives of the international organizations tasked with the implementation of the Dayton Accord, present at a meeting held in Mostar today, could tell whether an investigation report on the incident in Mostar of 10 February will be presented tomorrow. The meeting was attended by, among others, Sir Martin Garrod the HR’s Envoy, and Valentin Coric, Cantonal Minister for Interior Affairs. Coric said that in the last 3 days no evictions occurred and local police had arrested three people on suspicion of having taken part in earlier evictions. Frank Server, IPTF Chief of the Office in Mostar, could not confirm an alleged eviction of a Croat family from East Mostar. IPTF enabled Ivan Cerkez to return back to his house (the lock of which had been changed) in E.Mostar. He complained to Ivan Prskalo, Mostar Mayor.
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SFOR confiscated an anti tank grenade from a member of HVO and a gun from a civilian.
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Re: SFOR Spokesman Tony White’s assertions that SFOR was not informed of the Bosniaks visit to the Liska cemetery in Mostar on 10 February, Esad Humo, Chief of the Communal Office for communications with the international organizations claimed that he himself informed the respective SFOR Office
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The Town Council of SDA in Mostar concluded at its meeting on 16 February that further discussions on Mostar cannot be made as long as the previously signed agreements are not carried out. Very urgently the Town Council will initiate the creation of a Special document which will offer suggestions for solving the situation in Mostar.
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Following their visit to Washington and participation at the State Commission meeting yesterday in Sarajevo, members of the Brcko delegation held a Press Conference. They expected less politics and more justice in the Brcko decision. Yet it is a big step towards a just solution especially bearing in mind the part on refugee return. It is up to the Brcko residents, as well as the authorities on all levels to do their part.
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The Croatian Government informed late afternoon that they don’t intend to present the documents which ICTY in the Hague demanded to be used in a case of war crime indicted General Tihomir Blaskic. The excuse is that the ICTY demand is unfounded and contradictory to the Court Constitution and Law in general.
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A founding Assembly of the Citizens Association of the Genocide Museum was held in Sarajevo. The museum’s documentation should hold a historic lesson for future generations of what Bosniaks went through.
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A meeting on the situation of Bosniaks in RS was characterized as catastrophic. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Federal Ministry for social politics, as well as humanitarian organizations. Out of 40.000 Bosniaks who lived before the war in Banja Luka, only 4.000 are still there and 600 of them are refugees in their own town.
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In the Serb entity in BiH the preparations are under way to accommodate tens of thousands Serbs from Slavonia, AP reports quoting a Statement of the Serbs leaving Croatia.
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Alija Izetbegovic received Richard Sklar, Special Envoy of the American President Bill Clinton in his farewell visit and thanked him for his large contribution for BiH reconstruction. Sklar introduced his replacement Claude Ganz, who will be working in the OHR as Carl Bildt’s Deputy on the economic questions.
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Summary SRT News
London – RS delegation headed by parliament speaker Kalinic met British Foreign Office Secretary Sir Nicholas Bonsor, and talked about the current situation in the RS, and the Brcko arbitration decision. All of them agreed that the RS must respect the DPA, i.e. implementation of the joint institutions. Kalinic emphasised the importance of financial support for the RS, and asked the British government to be even-handed with regard to the RS and the Federation. Sir Bonsor emphasised that the Serbs and the British have always had excellent relation which will be preserved in the future. He also said that enough concessions had been made to the other side, therefore, Brcko should stay Serb.2:00
Gorazde – Prime minister Klickovic accompanied by ministers Lajic and Ostojic visited the town and its industrial facilities. They talked with the town authorities about the security situation in this the biggest and probably most important border town. Klickovic concluded that the Gorazde people and SDS leadership will bring the town back on to its feet. An inhabiting of the area and building of a TV transmitter would be the two most important projects planned for the future.
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Pale – An RS economic delegation headed by CoM Co-chair Bosic and vice-president of the government Banjac met the German delegation from Berlin which expressed a desire for investing in RS industry on the basis of founding joint corporations. Using this opportunity, Bosic expressed his hope that this is not one of a few companies interested in RS. He said that the RS must create a favourable political situation first, in order to gain support from other investors.
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Pale – RS National Bank representatives met an IMF delegation and talked about the functioning of the Central Bank. RS National Bank Governor, Manojlo Coric, said that the establishing of payment operations with the Federation depends on the establishing of the Central Bank.
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Bijeljina – Ministry of interior meeting – the discussion was about the general security situation in the RS and the insistence of the international community to reorganise the RS police. It will be another hard year for the RS police because of IPTF requests, particularly regarding the idea to have joint police forces along the BiH borders. This is hardly acceptable for the RS police because it already has been efficiently organised to carry out tasks on its own.
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Banja Luka – the proceeding against Alija Izetbegovic continued with witnesses testifying at the High Court. Izetbegovic was indicted for war crimes against humanity (POWs, refugees, spreading of fundamentalism) on Sept. 12, last year. 38 witnesses testified at the first part of the process which stopped in mid January this year.
World News: Mostar – Of 28 Muslim families which were expelled from west part of the city, 23 returned. However, they still live in fear because of possible harassment by Croats. A Croat family was expelled from east Mostar which was the first such case happened in the Muslim part of the city. Zenica – Islamic fundamentalists destroyed the Croat cemetery, Croat radio reported.
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