BOSNEWS digest 499 - 14/12/95

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@ee.mcgill.ca>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

CONTENTS

[01] GENERAL DUDAKOVIC VISITED THE SECOND CORPS

Tuzla, Dec 12, 1995 (Press TWRA) - B-H Army Fifth Corps Commander Gen.Atif Dudakovic, visited the Second Corps in and around Tuzla,=20 our correspondent reported. Gen. Dudakovic visited the furthest east of the free territory - Teocak, and B-H Army controlled part of the Zvornik municipality - Sapna and Vitinica. Serbs provoked in these areas recently. Along with Gorazde, where the free area includes both banks of the Drina river, the Bosnian Army is the closest to Drina in the area west of Zvornik - only several kms. Unlike in Gorazde, Drina in Zvornik is the state border between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia. (end) A.S.

[02] REFERENDUM IN "SERB SARAJEVO"

Sarajevo, Dec 12, (Press TWRA) - Karadzic's authorities organised today a "referendum" in the occupied area of Sarajevo, for its current inhabitants to decide whether to live in "Serb Republic", or, as defined in Dayton, in B-H Federation. Result of the referendum is pre-arranged, like the previous ones organized by the Pale Serbs. Bosnia's authorities, the UN and international community, described the referendum as invalid.=20

The referendum is taking place in several municipalities of Sarajevo, mostly in Ilidza, Vogosca, Ilijas, Hadzici. According to 1991 census, Vogosca had 24 7O7 residents, 12 549 (5O.8%) of them were Bosniaks, 8 843 (35.8%) Serbs, 1 O74 (4.3%) Croats, and 2 241 (9.1%) others. As of now, five or six thousand Serbs live in Vogosca, half of them being refugees from other areas. Besides them, there are several dozens of non-Serbs. The municipality of Vogosca covers 72 square km, half of it - state property, while the majority of private property belonged to Bosniaks.=20

Ilidza had 67 438 inhabitants. 28 973 were Bosniaks (43.O%), 25 O61 (37.2%) Serbs, 6 914 (1O.3%) Croats, 6 49O (9.5%) others.=20 Some fifteen thousand Serbs, including several thousand refugees, live there today, along with several dozens of non-Serbs. Out of 169 square km, 99 was the state property, and 7O the private, of which the majority belonged to Bosniaks.=20

Hadzici had 24 195 residents: 15 399 (63.6%) were Bosniaks, 6 391 (26.4%) Serbs, 743 (3.1%) Croats, and 1 662 (6.9%) others.=20 Today, there are hardly any non-Serbs in Hadzici, which is now inhabited by around four thousand Serbs, a quarter of whom are refugees. The Hadzici municipality covers 273 square kms, 211 kms were state property, while 62 kms were private, major part of which belonged to Bosniaks.=20

The four municipalities of the Sarajevo center (around 36O thousand residents) were pre-dominantly inhabited by Bosniaks: Old Town (78%), New Town (5O.8%), Center (5O.2%), New Sarajevo (35.7%). Serbs were minority in all the municipalities, and only in Ilijas (25 115 residents) they were relative majority (45.1% Serbs, 54.9% others). In none of the municipalities, Serbs had the majority of the land. (end) A.S.=A0## CrossPoint v3.02 ##

[03] KARADJIC WILL NOT GO TO PARIS

The Hague, Dec 12,1995 (Press TWRA) - Russian Foreign Minister Andrey Kozirev did not succeed, although he personally visited the International Tribunal in The Hague on Sunday, to convince the Chief Prosecutor Goldstone to "freeze" the process against war criminals Radovan Karadzica and Ratko Mladic. The Chief Prosecutor Richard Goldstone stated on the press conference that the reply on such demand can "only be negative" and added: "this is a very unusual demand". Commenting the Karadjic's wish to come to Paris and be present at the signing of the B-H peace agreement, Goldstone said that "Karadjic who is not invited, would be arrested by French authorities".

According to some sources Paris and Moscow are behind this entire diplomatic action and their aim is to stimulate the bosnian Serbs leadership to say the truth about the destiny of two French pilots whose planes were shot down above the territory under Serbian control in August.

Washington - The State Department spokesman said that US supports Chief Prosecutor Goldstone's decisions relating to Karadjic and Mladic. (end) S.K.

[04] B-H FEDERATION ASSEMBLY IN SESSION

Sarajevo, December 12,1995 (Press TWRA) - After B-H Republic Assembly accepted the Dayton agreement, the B-H Federation Constitutional Assembly has been discussing this agreement. The meeting of the highest SDA B-H and HDZ B-H officials headed for the first time by A. Izetbegovic and V. Soljic, future B-H Federation President who will replace K. Zubak who resigned. The Croatian and Bosniaks' representatives still did not reach the agreement on issues of defence, internal affairs and Federation budget and the dead line for starting the implementation of Federal Civil authorities is Dec 2O. The discussion on the General part of agreement has been postponed for today, and it is expected that Assembly will finalize the work today. (end) S.K.=20

[05] FRENCH PILOTS LIBERATED TODAY

New York, December 12,1995 (Press TWRA) - Two French pilots held by Bosnian Serbs are handed over to FRY authorities, reported Belgrade's media. Two pilots were extradited on Serbian - B-H border, in hotel "Vidikovac", near Zvornik. (end) S.K.

[06] SDAH DEMANDS SITE IN CROATIAN PARLIAMENT FOR BOSNIAK MINORITY

Zagreb, December 12,1995 (Press TWRA) - Party of Democratic Action of Croatia (SDAH) sent to Croatian Constitutional Court the proposal for review of two articles of Electorial Law for relating to election of representatives to Republic of Croatia Parliament. These articles relate to election of the representatives of national minorities. Bosniak national minority although second largest national minority in Croatia and according to Constitution equal to other, has been left out. This is the first, procedural step to get one site in the Croatian Parliament for Bosniak minority. (end) S.K.