On 20 and 21 March, a group of terrorists damaged 2 catholic churches in villages in the Bugojno and Travnik Municipalities. The Central Bosnia Cantonal Government held its extraordinary session with regard to this incident and requested the Cantonal police to make their report within 3 days.
2:00
Mostar – a west Mostar Court opened a public hearing [without witnesses] against five policemen who were involved in the Mostar incident on Feb. 10. Policemen were accused of using force and batons, and not for using guns against civilians. The Court decided that they were only defending their country. Policemen Zeljko Planicic was sentence to a one year of prison, and Ivan Hrkac and Bozo Peric to 6 months. All three judgements were suspended. IPTF spokesman, commenting on the event said that he wasn’t surprised by the sentence since criminals rule the west Mostar. HR Bildt, commenting on west Mostar Court decision, said that it is nothing but derision and farce. HR Bildt’s deputy Steiner went to Mostar after he talked with high Zagreb officials.
2:00
Washington – BiH President Izetbegovic met a number of experts of the Centre for Democracy during his first day in the US.
Zagreb – delegations of the ex-Yugoslav countries involved in the Croat and BiH wars held a meeting with the International Commission for Missing Persons, Vance, head of the ICRC, Samaruga and Lord Carrington, who hosted the meeting, to discuss the missing persons issue in these territories. A BiH delegation, headed by CoM Co-chair, Silajdzic also attended the meeting. Silajdzic said that the mass graves investigation and the process of refugee return can begin only after war criminals are detained. There are 35,000 refugees from the whole territory of ex-Yugoslavia. Out of that, 27,719 are from BiH, and 90% of them are Bosniaks who are probably buried in 187 mass graves throughout BiH. Therefore, the BiH delegation asked for immediate access to mass graves. The FRY delegation did not allow international investigation access to some areas believed to be secret prisons, explaining that they need to have additional consultations.
2:00
Sarajevo – BiH HoR and HoP held a joint meeting to discuss the date holding of their sessions. Both sessions should be held by the end of this month, but the precise date will be decided at the second HoP and HoR joint meeting to be held next Tuesday.
The RS and FRY Agreement – ratified by the FRY Assembly:
In his statement sent to the FRY Government, HR Bildt clearly said that the Agreement is not in accordance with the DPA or BiH Constitution, and it shouldn’t be ratified until it fulfils these conditions. The Belgrade regime proved they are not in favour of the Peace Agreement and that they [the regime] are ready not to implement it if its not in their interest. HR Bildt emphasised that the Agreement cannot be implemented until the BiH Parliament ratifies it. Belgrade and Pale are warned that such behaviour will influence the position of international community towards them.
Summary SRT News
President from RS in the BIH Presidency, Momcilo Krajisnik, together with the RS National Bank Governor, Manojlo Coric, held talks in Pale with Scott Brown, head of the IMF. The Central Bank and establishment of Joint Institutions were discussed.Following some statements of the Muslim officials in the Joint Institutions, according to which “a new war is the alternative to non-implementation of the Dayton agreement”, President Krajisnik issued a press statement. He objects to such claims and believes that the alternative to non-implementation of the DPA is a disappearance of BIH. “We want to implement the DPA. In Dayton we agreed to form BIH as a alternate state unit, with competencies according to such a form. Serb people in BiH will not make war, unless the other side with constant obstructions prevents the formation of the Joint Institutions,” says Krajisnik in this communiqué. Krajisnik also believes that the International representatives in BIH should be concerned about such statements and should hold back from dangerous tutorial protection of Muslims. The rhetoric, which characterizes RS as a part of BIH, is against the provisions of DPA, and as such irritating. Unlawful visits to foreign countries, Izetbegovic’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Silajdzic’s to Pakistan and Iran, are the best proofs of usurping behavior which is breaking BIH apart. Krajisnik concluded his public address expressing his concern with future co-operation with the Muslim side. In his view members of the CoM from the Muslim side are doing their utmost to disregard the DPA which recognizes two Entities.
7 min
The International Conference in Geneva, sponsored by the UNHCR, is dealing with finding a permanent solution to the refugees problem in former Yugoslavia. The Serb representatives were arguing for the Donor conference and for allocation of funds for the reconstrucion and development of RS and the Croat-Muslim Entity. Both the RS and the Federation accepted three principles for repatriation, that is the return to the majority areas, respecting the procedure for the return in the ZOS areas and the project of the priority return between two Entities and communities. The return to minority areas will be carried out on the principal of reciprocity.
5 min
The OSCE Provisional Commission announced that the voters registration for local elections will take place from 5 May to 16 June 1997.
1 min
Robert Farrand, tasked to oversee the administration in Brcko, will take over his post on April 1.