bosnet-digest V5 #74 / Wednesday, 21 February 1996
Subject: bosnet-digest V5 #74 / Wednesday, 21 February 1996
CONTENTS
[01] ACSB BOSNIA HOTLINE UPDATE 2/20/96
[02] Call f.Action: Goldstone's departure
[01] ACSB BOSNIA HOTLINE UPDATE 2/20/96
This is the American Committee to Save Bosnia's Bosnia Hotline,
updated Tuesday, February 20, at 10:00 P.M.
HERE ARE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT AND ON THE GROUND IN
THE BALKANS, COURTESY OF THE BALKAN INSTITUTE:
THE PRESIDENTS OF BOSNIA, CROATIA, AND SERBIA REAFFIRMED PREVIOUS COMMITMENTS
regarding implementation of the Dayton Accords, cooperation with the U.N. War
Crimes Tribunal, the prompt release of prisoners of war, and freedom of
movement throughout Bosnia at a summit in Rome Sunday. Bosnian and Croatian
officials also revised the terms for Mostar's reintegration and
administration. The meeting was convened by the Contact Group to address
recent tensions concerning implementation of the Accords. The U.S. agreed to
a suspension of U.N. sanctions against the Bosnian Serb Republic if IFOR
Commander Adm. Leighton Smith reports to the U.N. Security Council that it is
complying with the Accords. Smith's report is expected this week.
BOSNIAN SERB FORCES VIOLATED THE ROME CONFERENCE'S AGREEMENTS and the Dayton
Accords by boycotting a key meeting yesterday with NATO and Bosnian
Federation military officials. Zdravko Tilomir, deputy head of Bosnian Serb
forces, later invited IFOR ground commander Lt. Gen. Michael Walker to meet
with him today in Pale. Bosnian Serb military leaders had boycotted contacts
with IFOR and Federation officials after the extradition of two senior
Bosnian Serb officers to the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal last Monday. Bosnian
Serb leaders also boycotted meetings to discuss arms control arrangements and
Bosnia-wide elections. In addition, IFOR installations and personnel in
Serb-held areas around Sarajevo were attacked.
UNDER AN AGREEMENT REACHED IN ROME, EU-appointed administrator Hans
Koschnik's redistricting plan for Mostar was altered to decrease the size of
the central, administrative district. The changes largely corresponded to
demands by the Bosnian Croat forces controlling western Mostar. The EU and
the Bosnian government had pledged earlier in the week to support the
original plan. The mayor of the government-controlled eastern section of the
city offered his resignation yesterday to protest the changes. Mostar is to
be officially reunified today, and a joint government-Bosnian Croat police
force under EU supervision is to begin operation. Bosnian Croat police,
however, delayed joint patrols and continued to prevent non-Croats from
entering western Mostar.
THE ROME CONFERENCE REAFFIRMED that Serb-held sections of Sarajevo are to be
turned over to the Bosnian Federation by March 19. The U.N. International
Police Task Force announced yesterday that Federation police are to deploy to
the areas in five stages, beginning on Friday.
IN A LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON LAST TUESDAY, four Senators expressed their
outrage regarding the failure of IFOR to take effective steps to apprehend
indicted war criminals in Bosnia. Senators Dole, Hatch, Helms, and Lieberman
demanded a clarification from the President of U.S. and NATO policy toward
war criminals. IFOR announced yesterday that it would provide troops with
10,000 "wanted posters" with pictures or descriptions of 51 indicted war
criminals currently at large. U.S. and NATO officials continued to stress,
however, that the apprehension of war criminals was not a primary mission of
IFOR. U.S. soldiers interviewed this week by journalists said that they had
been specifically told by their superiors to avoid possible war criminals and
that their apprehension is not part of IFOR's mandate.
IFOR MOVED DURING THE WEEKEND TO ENFORCE COMPLIANCE by Bosnian Serb forces
with certain provisions of the Dayton Accords. Most of the violations
concerned the unreported and unauthorized presence of weapons and equipment
within ten km of the zone of separation established between Bosnian Serb
forces and the Bosnian Army and Bosnian Croat forces. On Sunday, IFOR
threatened air strikes against Bosnian Serb forces before ten tanks violating
a demilitarized zone near Doboj were withdrawn. IFOR reported Sunday that
scores of other tanks and artillery pieces violating demilitarized zones were
removed during the weekend, but that more than twenty remained. No action was
planned against the remaining weapons, which IFOR had earlier threatened to
destroy. Similar threats were required before U.S. troops gained access to
two Bosnian Serb weapons depots in eastern Bosnia. French forces yesterday
seized a cache of weapons in Serb-held Sarajevo. All weapons were to have
been removed from the area by February 3.
SNIPERS FIRED ON SEVERAL BUSES passing through Serb-held sections of Sarajevo
during the week. Five passengers were wounded. Bosnian Serb "police"
prevented U.S. IFOR troops from approaching the scene of Wednesday's attack.
Although IFOR troops later investigated the shootings, NATO asserted that
they ultimately are a matter for the Bosnian Serb "police" to address.
IFOR FORCES THURSDAY RAIDED an apparent terrorist training facility west of
Sarajevo. Eight Bosnians and three Iranians were arrested. One Iranian, a
diplomat, was freed immediately; IFOR later turned the others over to the
Bosnian government. The Administration warned that it would not facilitate
training and arming programs for the Bosnian Army unless all foreign fighters
supporting the Army leave Bosnia.
THE BOSNIAN LEGISLATURE last Monday approved an amnesty for combatants in the
war. Suspected war criminals and Bosnian Army officers charged with treason
are not included.
U.S. OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED Friday that the deployment of U.S. troops to Bosnia
and the region had been completed. Approximately 17,000 troops are in Bosnia,
2,100 in Croatia, and 4,400 in Hungary. On Saturday, 200 U.S. advance troops
were withdrawn from Bosnia, and 400 more are to follow in the coming days.
THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE announced today that it would reopen
Bosnia's three-year-old genocide case against Serbia and Montenegro. The
Court last acted in September, 1993, when it called on both Bosnia and Serbia
to prevent acts of genocide. Hearings scheduled for April 29 will consider
Belgrade's challenge of the Court's jurisdiction.
The ACSB Bosnia Hotline is updated weekly, with more frequent updates when
developments warrant.
You can reach the ACSB Bosnia Hotline at (202-319-7189) or at our site on the
World Wide Web at http://users.aol.com/amcomsabos/home.html.
Opinions expressed/published on BosNews/BosNet-B do NOT necessarily
always reflect the views of (all of the members of) Editorial Board,
and/or moderators, nor any of their host institutions.
Murat Erkocevic <[email protected]>
Dzevat Omeragic <[email protected]>
Davor Wagner <[email protected]>
Nermin Zukic <[email protected]>
[02] Call f.Action: Goldstone's departure
This is a message for participants in BosNet/BosNews and related
networks and groups (SAGE, Etudiants pour Bosnie, Israeli Comm. f.
Defence of Bosnia, Gesellschaft f. bedrohte Voelker)
From: Gorazd Cvetic
(e-mail: [email protected], phone:+49-231-755 3498)
21 February 1996
Departure of Goldstone Should be Prevented; Call for Action:
According to reports in the international and Bosnian media,
Justice Richard Goldstone, the Chief Prosecutor of the International
Criminal Tribunal on Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and of the
International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda (ICTR), is going to
be called back to the Rep. of South Africa by President Mandela,
in order to take his position at the Constitutional Court.
Justice Goldstone would then reportedly leave the ICTY and the
ICTR some time in June of this year.
It is expected that President Mandela will make a final
decision regarding this matter within the next days.
In case of Justice Goldstone's departure from the ICTY and
the ICTR, there are fears that the conflicting interests of the
European powers (including Russia) and of the USA as to the
genocides in Bosnia and in Rwanda would probably result in their
choosing a successor of considerably less integrity and perseverance,
a successor that could be influenced by political pressures.
Please appeal to President Mandela to extend the leave of absence
from the Constitutional Court for Justice Goldstone, so that he
can continue his crucial work with the ICTY and the ICTR. In your
appeals, please try to stress the importance of having such a
personality as Justice Goldstone at the ICTY and the ICTR.
Appeals per telefax to:
President Nelson Mandela
Office of the President
Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
telefax number: +27-12-323 8246 (+27 is the country code)
Opinions expressed/published on BosNews/BosNet-B do NOT necessarily
always reflect the views of (all of the members of) Editorial Board,
and/or moderators, nor any of their host institutions.
Murat Erkocevic <[email protected]>
Dzevat Omeragic <[email protected]>
Davor Wagner <[email protected]>
Nermin Zukic <[email protected]>
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