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BosNet Digest V5 #34 / Jan. 23, 1996From: Nermin Zukic <n6zukic@SMS.BUSINESS.UWO.CA>Bosnia-Herzegovina News DirectoryCONTENTS[01] SDA BIH ACCEPTED PRIME MINISTER SILAJDZIC'S RESIGNATION[02] SHATTACK ON SREBRENICA AREA[03] CROAT-BOSNIAC RELATIONS STILL TENSE[04] IZETBEGOVIC - ZHELEV[05] ZORAN THALER VISITED SARAJEVO[06] GOOD NEWS FROM JAJCE, SAYS UNHCR[07] MOST MUJJAHIDS LEFT[08] WITHDRAWAL ACCORDING TO THE PLAN, SAYS IFOR[09] GERMANY DENIED THE AGREEMENT WITH YUGOSLAVIA[10] SILAJDZIC DECLINES TO HEAD THE GOVERNMENT WITH FIVE MINISTRIES[11] GOLDSTONE THREATENS SERBIA WITH SANCTIONS[01] SDA BIH ACCEPTED PRIME MINISTER SILAJDZIC'S RESIGNATIONSarajevo, Jan 22,1996 (Press TWRA) - On special session held yesterday in Sarajevo the Executive Comity of B-H Party of Democratic Action (SDA BiH) nominated new mandator of B-H Republic Government dr. Hasan Muratovic, present President of the State Comity for relations with UN. After the session SDA BiH issued a very firm press release which accuses the present Prime Minister H. Silajdzic for "obstructing the political process" and for undermining, with his statements the reputation of B-H Assembly in domestic and foreign media". The Executive Comity emphasizes that Silajdzic's demand for change of the Law on B-H Government has no basis because B-H Assembly adopted it according to the law. SDA emphasizes that it is "essential, to form without delay the republic and federal Government in order to prevent the further bad consequences" and warns that "the postponement of B-H Federation Government suits Croatian extremist because it also delays the disband of Herzeg-Bosnia which is very useful to enemies of Republic".Zagreb - In an interview for Croatian independent Radio 1O1 new nominated mandator of B-H Republic Government dr. H. Muratovic said that the program of his Government will not be very different from the previous. That is because Muratovic's Government will get the mandate only until the elections foreseen in 8 months time. Government will continue to work on implementation of peace process and economical reconstruction of B-H and the establishing of B-H Federation, emphasized Muratovic. The Sarajevo's Radio 99 journalist reported for 1O1 Radio that Prime Minister Silajdzic rejected the rumors that he already negotiated with the representatives of opposition parties relating to the founding of his own party. Silajdzic only announced that "after all that happened, there is a possibility to establish a new parties" but he did not make clear when and weather that will be his party. (end) S.K. [02] SHATTACK ON SREBRENICA AREASarajevo, Jan 22,1996 (Press TWRA) - The Assistant of US State Secretary for Human Rights John Shattack visited yesterday four locations near Srebrenica where mass graves are situated. John Shattack confirmed that there are "horrible evidences on crimes against humanity". Shattack emphasized that the visit was not "to dig up graves but to get first hand insight in the mass graves sites. He also added that Hague Tribunal will base its indictments on evidences from this mass graves". "During the research of graves it will be necessary to secure the sites and investigation teams, and the duty of IFOR, under Dayton, is to give help to war crimes researcher", emphasized Shattack.However, IFOR Commander for B-H Gen L. Smith rejected the possibility that NATO solders will constantly monitor and guard the areas where mass graves are located. "This does not mean that NATO solders will guard every grave and protect each individual who wants to visit such places", says Smith's Headquarters press release. However, the NATO planes which give air support to IFOR started the reconnaissance flights over the mass graves sites so that ground forces could intervene if necessary. (end) S.K. [03] CROAT-BOSNIAC RELATIONS STILL TENSEMostar, Zagreb, Vitez, Jan 21, 1996 (Press TWRA) - No new incidents have been reported from Mostar. Five persons were killed in an accident without political background, caused by bad weather conditions and the road damage along the river Neretva. Besides minor displeasure among some HVO officials, there is no reaction to H. Koschnick's agreement with F. Tudjman reached in Zagreb in the presence of M. Granic, G. Susak. M. Tudjman and M. Zuzul, and Italian ambassador to Zagreb, P. Pensa, on sending 1OO Croatia's policemen to Mostar with the B-H authorities' support, to assist under WEU command, in easing the situation in the town. The decision is made for H. Koschnick to be arbiter in the Mostar disputes, along with arbitration of Roberts Owen (USA), and his associates (ambassador Cornbloom and gen. Clark) at the level of the B-H Federation, helped by German representative Ch. Schwarz Schilling. Koschnick announced that the EU office to Mostar would act as the town administration till July this year, but it would remain in the town to assist in financing the projects and as advisory body, not as the town administration. Talks in Mostar, Tuesday, will include Croatian defense minister Susak and Bosnian either foreign minister Sacirbey or prime minister Silajdzic.EU administration spokesman in Mostar, Dragan Gasic says the Dayton accord does not foresee exact date for the Mostar police to be united. Another EU administration spokesman sir Martin Garod announced that entire freedom of movement in Mostar would be realized till Feb. 8, this year. Koshnick's assistant Klaus Metscher confirmed that north part of Mostar was fired at during the recent gathering of Muslim believers in the area who attended the solemn opening of a new mosque, but that EU cannot say where the shelling came from and what was the target. President of the B-H Federation Kresimir Zubak said the incidents in Usora and Mostar held up but not jeopardized the entire B-H Federation project. "After all we have reached, I am an optimist hoping for six counties to be established in Mostar," said Zubak stressing that the authorities in Mostar (Croat held part) do not regard the assistance of 1OO policemen from Croatia necessary, as they claim they are able to provide security, legality and freedom of movement in Mostar with their own police. HVO has stated that Bosnian police maltreated HVO official from central Bosnia Josip Vranic on the Krasevo-Alibegovci road. It is a new pressure on Croats from Usora, claims HVO reminding it is an attempt to revoke Croat county of Usora (self -styled in this war, north of the Tesanj county towards Doboj, unrecognized yet), and also to expel Croat population from the area. HVO commander of central Bosnia Drago Dragicevic said that such incidents like acting towards J. Vranic could result in unwanted consequences for the B-H Federation. Filip Filipovic, HVO member in the joint staff of the B-H Federation forces says the problems in Usora come from Bosnian side which wants to join the villages of Alibegovci and Ularice to the Tesanj county, regarded by HVO as a part of the predominantly Croat Usora. /end/ A.S. [04] IZETBEGOVIC - ZHELEVSarajevo, Jan 2O, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Bulgarian president Zhelu Zhelev visited the B-H capital yesterday and talked with the president and members of the B-H Presidency, A. Izetbegovic, E. Ganic, Mirko Pejanovic, Ivo Komsic and the president of the B-H Federation Kresimir Zubak and minister of energetics and industry in the B-H government Faruk Smailbegovic. After the talks in the Konak villa, president Zhelev said: "We were the first state in the world to recognize the B-H independence. We today support sovereignty and territorial integrity of B-H and want to promote bilateral relations and aid reconstruction and recovery of B-H. Therefore, a number of Bulgarian economists and businessmen arrived with me who have agreed with their hosts on a successful cooperation. Bulgaria is ready to send its troops to help in the peace plan implementation within IFOR." /end/ A.S.[05] ZORAN THALER VISITED SARAJEVOSarajevo, Jan 2O, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Slovenian head of diplomacy Z. Thaler visited Sarajevo. He was received by B-H top officials including his host Muhamed Sacirbey. In the statement issued after the meeting Thaler said: "Maintaining close cooperation between Slovenia, Croatia, B-H and Macedonia is extremely important to secure the implementation of fair succession of ex-Yugoslavia. Any change of the so-far views of the international community of economic and political succession of ex-Yugoslavia must not be allowed. It must be taken into account in the process of normalization of relations with Belgrade. None state should accept one-sided concessions to the FR Yugoslav government. We call Sarajevo, Skopje and Zagreb to adjust their approach to this issue." Besides, Slovenian minister announced greater presence of Slovenia in reconstruction of B-H announcing soon visit of Slovenia's economists to Bosnia. /end/A.S.[06] GOOD NEWS FROM JAJCE, SAYS UNHCRJajce, Jan 2O, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Recent occurrence in Jajce might be a ground for civilian reintegration, said the UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski. Namely, in that HVO controlled town, 44 Bosniac families who have returned, were friendly received by their Croat neighbours, specify Janowski. /end.A.S.[07] MOST MUJJAHIDS LEFTZagreb, Cazin, Jan 2O, 1996 (Press TWRA) - A group of mujjahids near Coralici north of Bihac, encircled a group of Canadians who invited the IFOR British soldiers to intervene what proved to be unnecessary as mujjahids released Canadians.IFOR spokesman to Zagreb says nearly all mijjahids have left B-H. IFOR regards the case near Coralici as an exception as they were not armed in the surprise attack on Canadians. /end/ A.S. [08] WITHDRAWAL ACCORDING TO THE PLAN, SAYS IFORSarajevo, Tuzla, Jan 2O, (Press TWRA) - US Col. Fontenote (IFOR) presided the three Bosnia's warring sides' meeting in IFOR's camp in Dubrave village, nearby Brcko, north Bosnia. It was released that 8O% of the job of withdrawing the forces and arms had been implemented within the given term while delay for 2O% of the duties had been caused by poor weather conditions. A meeting of the three sides at Ilidza was announced in Sarajevo today with the IFOR ground forces comdr., gen. sir Michael Walker as a chairman. ICRC announced 224 persons had been released in the exchange held at the Sarajevo airport Butmir the prvious night. The ICRC workers compare the list of the released with the lists provided by three sides. ICRC reminds that the POWs exchange in B-H has not been finished yet although the term expired the night before and about 7OO more persons ar still held in captivity.In the past few days R. Holbrooke visited Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo to encourage withdrawal of all sides in B-H from the separation lines within schedule, a duty to be strictly observed, as Holbrooke stressed in Sarajevo where he attended the meeting of the Contact group representatives (Germany, USA, Russia, France, G. Britain). After Sarajevo, Holbrooke talked with Milosevic in Belgrade and said that the issue discussed was the Dayton peace implementation. Yesterday in Zagreb, Holbrooke had a talk with Tudjman on the B-H Federation, implementation of the Dayton accord for B-H and the situation in eastern Slavonia. As there were a few hours left for deadline expiry for the Bosnian sides' withdrawal for 2 km off the front lines, Holbrooke expressed his hope that each side would comply with it, adding that he believes in the implementation of the military annex of the agreement while holds too early to speak about the chance for success of the civilian annex of the peace agreement. Several hours before the deadline expiry, the NATO secretary general Javier Solana said the withdrawal of the three sides in Bosnia had been successfully and entirely ended. Meanwhile, IFOR said about 5O more pieces of heavy arms should be collected. HVO official I. Kotroman warned that Yugoslav soldiers and officers were still on the B-H territory. Ray Collins (IFOR, central Bosnia) said that any side remaining within the separation zone, took the responsibility of being exposed to the IFOR fire. Police must not carry long barrel arms, otherwise it would be taken and destroyed. Fire on the occasion of anybody's and any kind of holidays is strictly forbidden, stressed Collins. /end/ A.S. [09] GERMANY DENIED THE AGREEMENT WITH YUGOSLAVIABonn, Jan 2O, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Germany denied Belgrade's claim on German-Yugoslav agreement on the road traffic. Normalization of the traffic was discussed at the Bonn meeting and followed by signing of a regular minutes and not the inter-state agreement, German diplomacy said. Before the war, the roads linking western Europe with the Middle East went through Serbia. /end/ A.S.[10] SILAJDZIC DECLINES TO HEAD THE GOVERNMENT WITH FIVE MINISTRIESSarajevo, Jan 21, 1996 (Press TWRA) - Bosnian premier, proposed as a mandatory of a new government of the Republic of B-H said he would not accept the mandate if the law adopted at the latest session of the Parliament stating that the Republic government had five and not six portfolio ministers, was in force. Silajzic said he talked about the issue at the meeting with Ivo Lozancic and Bozo Rajic, the leaders of the B-H HDZ whose member Ivan Bender insisted on five, not six ministers in government. "State's sovereignty is maintained by the state institutions. Reducing the number of ministries in the Republic government is an attempt to weaken the central government of B-H. The decision on five ministries was brought by delegates under pressure. It is a violence against parliamentary democracy," Silajdzic says.President of the B-H Federation, Kresimir Zubak said Croats do not oppose to Silajdzic' candidacy but current premier demanded something not being adopted by Parliament. "We expect SDA to propose another mandatory for the Republic government, "says Zubak. /end/ A.S. [11] GOLDSTONE THREATENS SERBIA WITH SANCTIONSThe Hague, Jan 21, 1996 (Press TWRA) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTFY) demands aid of the international community in collecting the evidence on the existence of mass graves in B-H. The main prosecutor of ICTFY R. Goldstone, at the press conference said if the corpses should be exhumed from the mass graves then material evidence on their existence must be protected along with providing the photographs. "It is important in some cases to exhume the bodies as it had been done in Rwanda. National states are obliged to help the Tribunal in preserving likely documents," Goldstone says.Goldstone reminded that the Belgrade government still does not recognize legitimacy of the Internatioan Tribunal - "none of my demands addressed to president Milosevic has not been adequately responded." Goldstone stresses the investigation on the crimes committed in the so-called Krajina by Croatian army members will be hard to continue if the access to the witnesses, most of whom are in Serbia, is not permitted. "If the Belgrade government does not comply with the peace agreement it had signed, the UN security Council will adopt the document on likely imposing sanctions which are suspended now, says Goldstone. He stresses that Croatian government expressed its readiness to cooperate but the good will and promise have not been proved yet. Goldstone visited the NATO seat, Friday, and talked to its secretary general Javier Solana about the condition authorizing IFOR to arrest the suspected war criminals to Bosnia. Washington - The White House spokesman Mike Curry has released that Clinton's administration regards the protection of evidence on the mass graves as necessary. So McCurry indirectly commented the statement of the US gen. George Joulwan who said that IFOR could not protect the mass graves, as "it has other duties." /end/ A.S. |
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