Jajce – A number of various incidents occurred yesterday and today in Jajce municipality villages where civilians of Croat nationality harassed, attacked, tortured, plundered and stoned Bosniaks who were returning to their homes. On top of it all, extremists of the Croat Community of Herceg Bosna killed Hazim Salman and burned him, together with his house. They closed all roads leading to 6 villages. By 1200 hrs today, all 425 Bosniaks were evicted from their new homes leaving only 130 in the villages some 8 kilometres from Jajce. They need food and water. As all communication with these villages is broken, the information was given by SFOR.
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As the police in Jajce did nothing to stop this outrage, the FBiH Ministry for Interior issued a statement demanding from SFOR that they undertake immediate measures for establishing the personal and material security of civilians. The statement also demanded from IPTF that they identify the organisers and instigators of these incidents.
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Sarajevo – On the occasion of the dramatic incidents in the Jajce municipality, representatives the OHR, SFOR, UN, IPTF, UNHCR and OSCE sent a letter to Vladimir Soljic and Ejup Ganic, Federation President and his Deputy in which they expressed their condemnation and consternation regarding the demonstrations against returns to the Jajce municipality. We have indications that probably even the police were involved in these incidents, reads the letter. Among the three demands listed at the end of the letter is an invitation directed to both Soljic and Ganic to come to the OHR on Tuesday, 5 August to discuss the action which must follow. The letter was read in full.
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Rasim Kadic, Federal Minister for Refugees and DPs joined a TV program by direct phone line expressing his disappointment about the incidents, especially since they occurred after the process of refugee return began so well in Maglaj, Zepce, Vares and Kakanj – towns with Croats majority. He also said that these incidents witness the existence of the police, para-state Herceg-Bosna, which is ready to do anything to reach its aim, even to kill. Kadic corrected information relating to the number of Bosniaks who remained in Jajce’s three municipalities, saying that only 87 Bosniaks stayed there. I am worried about the lives of the Bosniaks there, he said and added that actions should be undertaken immediately so the process would not take place in other regions.
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Follows a lengthy story on the incident in Vogosca on Friday, 1 August when, during a meeting between the Vogosca municipality and Sarajevo Canton representatives with the 19 citizens of Serb nationality, a large number of women who fled East Bosnia gathered in front of the municipality building throwing stones at the town hall and police precinct. Today’s Press Conference of the Association of Evicted People turned into an attempt of the Srebrenica women to give their explanation of the Friday incidents. They gathered in order to ask and receive information from the Serb citizens about three Srebrenica men detained in Zvornik. They broke windows on the municipality building in revolt when nobody wanted to turn on the light in and around the building when they asked for it. They still do not understand how is it possible that the Serbs can come and visit their houses in Federation and they are forbidden to do the same in RS, even on the anniversary day of disappearance of their dearest.
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Carlos Westendorp, the HR for BiH sent a letter to Edhem Bicakcic, FBiH Prime Minister and Midhat Haracic, Sarajevo Canton Governor. With the remark unpleasant, a presenter said that the letter underlines the negative connotation which the Vogosca incident will have on the further process of returns to Vogosca and the Canton in general, especially considering that Vogosca is participating in the Open Cities project, as well as the importance of Sarajevo in the solution of problem of Bosniaks’ return to Brcko and other towns in RS. The letter was read in full.
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Summary SRT TV News
A village near Trebinje – The Parliament Speaker, Kalinic said that the RS is facing a very difficult period, but Serb people will not suffer if they stay together. ‘We, Serbs, are not against the IC, but we want them not to be bias and to respect the interest of the RS,’ Kalinic said, adding that none of these interests is against the DPA. Serb unity is the key of their survival and success. The SDS party, which was unanimously accepted as the grassroots movement by the RS people, was, is, and will be the movement which strengthens the Serb unity.3:00
Visegrad – Prime Minister Klickovic met the local leadership and discussed accommodation of refugees. They agreed to speed up construction of 320 housing units for accommodation of 1,200 families.
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‘Has someone finally come up with an idea to take away power from illegal representatives of the Serb people,’ an SRT journalist said, adding that HR Westendorp warned that the IC members will cancel all the contacts with current BiH ambassadors and will not regard them as legitimate representatives of BiH anymore. German media reported that Germany has already cut off all contacts with BiH embassy in Bonn. SRT said that Muslim and Croat officials are to be blame for such crisis, especially the Muslim ambassador to UN in New York, Sacirbey. He cannot represent the Serbs because he blamed them for violation of all agreements that have been signed so far, particularly the DPA. As the only BiH representative to the UN, Sacirbey organised a number of meetings against Serbs and created a wrong picture of them in the world.
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Svjetlica near Doboj – The Serb refugees who had found their permanent accommodation in this village warned the public of the unpleasant event of the Muslim attack on a group of Serbs who tried to visit Vogosca in the Federation two days ago. The visit was organised by UNHCR and the programme of ‘open cities’. Serbs were welcomed by about 600 Muslim residents who threw stones at them. One man who was in the group of returnees said that the Muslims were frightened of being expelled from Serb houses in Vogosca. ‘It was a well known scenario – first they sent children, then women came, and after that men,’ a Serb woman said. SRT commented that this was ‘yet another act of the IC and Federation authorities’ hypocrisy which proved that there is no future for Serbs in the Federation.’
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SRT concluded that the large number of political parties which registered for the local elections in the RS, including parties from the Federation tend to split the RS apart. SRT said that only The Coalition for the United and Democratic BiH, [SDA, Party for BiH, GDS and LBO] applied in 47 municipalities which is rather dangerous because a number of minor parties from the RS which were established just before ending of the registration period will take part in the elections for the purpose of dispersing voters and melting the RS into BiH.
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From July 8 to July 30, SRT organised a public survey in which 3,000 people from 12 bigger towns in the RS answered various questions, such as:
- Who is the most popular politician in the RS?
Radovan Karadzic 66,8%; Krajisnik 18,8%; Plavsic 5,7%; Kalinic 5,4%; Klickovic 3,3%; - Did President Plavsic respect the RS Constitution when decided to dissolve the Parliament?
No 74,3%; Don’t know 20,1%; Yes 2,2%; Maybe 3,4%; - What is the most serious problem in the RS?
The IC pressure 42,7%; internal political conflicts 38,3%; crime 8,4%; economic situation 6,2%; hostile surrounding 4,4%; - Does the current crisis jeopardise security situation in the RS?
Don’t know 41,8%; Maybe 28,9%; No 23,1%; Yes 6,2%; - Should Karadzic, Mladic and others go to the Hague?
No 95,7%; Don’t know 2,4%; Yes, under certain conditions 1,1%; Yes 0,8%; - Which is the most popular nationality among SFOR troops?
Spanish 29,8%; Russian 27,8%; French 21,6%; others 19,5%; US 0,8%; British 0,6%; German 0,5%; - Should SFOR stay after its mandate expires in summer of 1998?
No 69,8%; Maybe 11,3%; Don’t know 9,5%; Yes 9,4%; - Will there be another war?
Maybe 39,71%; Don’t know 29,8%; Yes 16,4%; No 14,1%;