Statement: Srebrenica Working Group Must Complete Its Work in Next Ten Days

Senior Deputy High Representative Martin Ney  held a meeting today in Sarajevo with RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic, RS  Interior Ministers Darko Matijasevic, RS Defence Minister Milovan Stankovic and  the Chair of the RS Government’s Srebrenica Working Group Jovan Spajic. Ambassador Ney  reminded those present that the Srebrenica Working Group  must conclude its work satisfactorily by the end of this month.

Ambassador Ney expressed concern about the lack of progress being made by the Working Group, which in April this year was tasked by the High Representative to ensure  that  the  RS  Ministries of Interior and Defence provide full information on the units that  were active in the wider Srebrenica area during in July 1995. The Sub Group  responsible for assessing the  RS authorities’  level of cooperation has indicated that the methodology used  by the Ministry of Defence has been  insufficient and that more information could be made available to the ICTY and domestic prosecutors.

“Progress has been made by the Srebrenica Working Group, but time is short – the Working Group is due to finish its task by the end of September. We have identified outstanding tasks and the RS Government must do everything possible to ensure  that  the Working Group successfully comletes its work,” Ambassador Ney  said today . “This meeting was about assuring the success of the Srebrenica Working Group; there are ten days left to the deadline. This is the RS Government’s working Group and it will be the RS Prime Minister whom  we will consider ultimately responsible in the case of failure  as the Working Group depends on the cooperation of the Government.”