BosNet NEWS - Apr. 16, 1996

From: Nermin Zukic <[email protected]>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

CONTENTS

[01] DOBRINJA AND VILLAGES NEAR ZVORNIK - WITHOUT AGREEMENT

Representatives of the B-H Federation and Republic of Srpska have reached an agreement on the separation between the two entities at 14 disputable points, said the IFOR spokesman Simon Haselock. There are 15 more such points, the most complex among them are the question of the Sarajevo settlement of Dobrinja and 6 Bosniak villages nearby Zvornik, northeastern Bosnia, said Haselock.

Minor part of Dobrinja, south of Sarajevo in the vicinity of the Butmir airport, was attached to Serb entity while the border line goes through the very settlement. Serb representatives have so far refused to give any concession in the area or any other option of the territory exchange elsewhere populated with non- Serbs or strategically vital points.

The town of Zvornik, a significant traffic junction in northeastern Bosnia was, prior to the war on the main communication road between Belgrade and Tuzla and during the war a supply route for the aid arriving from Serbia to Mladic's troops for operations conducted in eastern Bosnia and around Sarajevo. According to the 1991 census, Bosniaks were majority population in Zvornik (61% in the town, 59% in the municipality). The town and greater part of the municipality were occupied in early spring 1992, several thousands of Bosniaks were killed and others were expelled. When Serbs took the area towards Srebrenica in early 1993 (Kamenica, and the direction towards Vlasenica and Bratunac - Cerska and Konjevic Polje), the B-H army had control only over northwestern part of the Zvornik municipality - settlements around Sapna and Vitinica - connected with Teo^ak and via Kalesija with the rest of the free territory. In the area there are six villages which had been successfully defended throughout the war and even during the offensive two years ago commanded by Ratko Mladic alone which Serbs called "Operation Seminar" Those villages, among them Nezuk, Zaseok and Kovacevici, according to the Dayton accords are included in Serb entity. Serbs were ready to give those villages stressing their potential strategic significance (a few km far from the river Drina - a border line between FR Yugoslavia and B- H), asking in return the settlement of Dobrinja which Bosniaks resolutely refused. (end) A.S.

[02] PARTY FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (SBH) FOUNDED

Inaugural convention of the Party for B-H whose founder and chairman is ex-vice-chairman of the ruling SDA and ex-foreign minister and prime minister of B-H, Haris SilajdWic. More than a thousand persons were present at the convention in Bosnian cultural centre in Sarajevo. According to organizer, representatives of 58 municipalities from various parts of B-H attended the convention. The party's adopted program proclaims the party is in favour of B-H as a sovereign state and multicultural society as the key condition for the peace in the region underlining that all those who do not accept the fact are - supporters of war. Besides, "one political line among Bosniaks accepting the thesis on the partition of the state as a final political solution" was condemned.

Vice-chairmen of SBH are Mustafa Imamovic (dean of the Faculty of Law in Sarajevo), Enes Kari5 (ex-minister of culture), Hamdija Kulovi5 (director of the Ironworks in Zenica), academician Ivan Strauss, Igor Gaon (prof. of chemistry at Medical School of the University in Sarajevo), Spomenka Mi^i5, Melika Filipovi5 and Muhamed Begovi5 (lawyer). Members of the Executive board of SBH are Jusuf Rami5 (professor at Faculty of Islamic sciences in Sarajevo), Faruk Smailbegovic (ex-minister of industry, energy and mining), Mustafa Pamuk, Muharem Cero (ex-minister for refugees) and Izet Digic (assistant of ex-minister M. Cero). (end) A.S.

[03] REFUGEES FROM BRCKO DEMONSTRATED IN TUZLA

Nearly 15,000 people demonstrated in Tuzla against Serb occupation of Brcko demanding joining the town to the B-H Federation in order to return to their homes in Brcko. High B-H officials joined the demonstrations including Ejup Ganic. Some Croats left the meeting as a protest "due to the lack of Croat insignia". Croat nationalists in B-H want Croatian flag and arms to be present along with the same insignia of B-H at all meetings at which they take part In the Bosnian controlled areas (Croat controlled areas of B-H mostly have only Croat symbols). Bosniaks are ready to put Croat flag along with Bosniak (white with two green lines and a crescent) but not at the same level as the B-H state flag. Croat-Bosniak relations are tense regarding Brcko due to ambitions of Croat nationalists to establish "Croat county Ravne Brcko," including some Croat but also Bosniak villages in the Brcko county. International arbitration for Brcko, agreed in the eve of the Dayton accords (which almost failed due to Brcko), and planned for the middle of this year, should include the regulations over corridor connecting eastern and western part of Republic Srpska, if Brcko is joined to the B-H Federation. Current Serb corridor goes via Brcko (where 8,000 Bosniaks were killed in 1992) and is the narrowest at that part (only a few km). Brcko within Federation would enable the access for one Bosniak canton to the Sava river (which flows into the Danube river, the most important Central European river). Two counties of the B-H Federation, placed on the Sava river (Orasje and OdWak) are in predominantly Croat canton of Bosanska Posavina. (end) A.S.

[04] USD 1.2 MORE BILLION OF AID FOR B-H PROMISED IN BRUSSELS

Two-day donor conference - of the representatives of about 5O states and 2O international organizations called by European Union and the World Bank was successfully ended. Such a conference was needed in order to overcome the gap between USD 1.8 billion needed for this year's necessary reconstruction aid for B-H and USD 600 million that was raised last year. The sum of 1.8 billion will suffice the B-H reconstruction fund for this year, in which multiparty elections should be held, new authorities established, and IFOR withdraw. Another round of aid for B-H would decided on late this year.

The major donors are the World Bank (USD 310 mill.) and European Union (USD 260 mill.) whose support will be provided in form of loans and subventions. Islamic states participate with substantial amounts. Saudi Arabia promised USD 50 mill. and Turkey USD 80 mill. Japan previously promised USD 500 mill. in the next four years.

EU foreign affairs commissioner Hans van den Broek being also in charge of the relation of EU with southeastern Europe, praised "super solidarity of the international community with the peoples of B-H." PIC high commissioner Carl Bildt says: "This is a great day for B-H and a super day for peace." At the press conference held after the meeting, Bosnian prime minister Hasan Muratovic told the journalists that Brussels had fulfilled the expectations of the B-H government.

President of the World Bank, James D. Wolfenson estimated the Brussels meeting as a great success saying that the raised money would be primarily spent on reconstruction of infrastructure then housing construction and providing jobs for Bosnian population. Various projects will include traffic, power supply, agriculture provided for both entities in B-H. Yet, unlike humanitarian aid for which Van den Broek says will continue to be delivered unconditionally, aid for reconstruction will be conditioned first by cooperation of a particular side with ICTY including extradition of the indicted war criminals.

A complaint was addressed to KaradWi5, whose influence is regarded to be standing behind the decision of Republic of Srpska prime minister Rajko Kasagic who refused to send a representative of Serb entity to Brussels within the B-H delegation claiming that, in accord with the Dayton accords current authorities in Sarajevo are not regarded as unifying and superior. So Serb extremists, for the time being closed the door for the aid of the international community to Bosnian-Serb entity, was commented to Brussels.

"International community will be more rigid towards Bosnian Serbs. If needed, we will use other means at our disposal. There are many ways to get hold of the war criminals," said Carl Bildt.

Deputy of the US Secretary of Finances, Lawrence Summer said the USA demands from Serbs to renounce their criminals including the leaders -KaradWic and Mladi5 if they want to be given international aid. "We all agree it is necessary that KaradWic and Mladic should be removed from power, said Summers reminding that the USA promised USD 219 mill. as this year's aid for B-H, but not a dollar would be given to Republic of Srpska as long as the war crimes suspects are not extradited to the International Tribunal in the Hague. /end/ A.S.

[05] ITALY RECOGNIZED FRY, PACK CRITICIZES RECOGNITION OF FRY

"There are no more obstacles for Italy to recognize FR Yugoslavia as one of the successor-states of SFRY," announced Italian ministry of foreign affairs, adding the established relations would be at the ambassadorial level. In the Italy's announcement on the FRY recognition, of recently released conditions for its recognition set up by EU (which Italian foreign ministry also announced on behalf of EU diplomacy as its this term's president), it mentions only Kosovo being more yielding towards Belgrade than demanded by EU.

Bonn - President of the Committee for southeastern Europe in Europarliament Doris Pack says she regards decision of some EU member and some other states to recognize FR Yugoslavia as a counter-productive. Pack reminds of criteria which European Union adopted five years ago when making decisions on recognition of new states of ex-Yugoslavia. She warned of continuous violation of human and minority rights in Serbia and Montenegro and specially at Kosovo. She reminded of the EU Ministry Council's decision of Jan 29, 1996 directly connecting a likely recognition of FRY with the state of human rights at Kosovo. Pack stressed FRY had not recognized Croatia yet, expressing belief that Belgrade's recognition of Zagreb was the most important element in establishing peace at the southeast of Europe.(end) A.S.

[06] SERIES OF RECOGNITION OF FR YUGOSLAVIA

Following the example provided by France and Britain, many EU members and other countries decided to recognize FR Yugoslavia, besides the fact that EU, formally, imposed conditions that Belgrade should first fulfill (autonomy of Kosovo, recognition of Croatia, agreement on succession of ex-Yugoslavia, cooperation with ICTY and UNTAES, enabling return to all refugees, protection of human rights and rights of minorities). Danish Foreign Minister, Niels Helveg Petersen informed Friday his country decided to recognize FRY, basing such a decision on the "situation after the signing and beginning of the implementation of the Dayton accord and after mutual recognition between FRY and Macedonia". FRY was recognized that same day by Portugal, as well and a day before by Sweden and Norway. The same was also announced by Belgium. Hungary undertakes necessary measures for sending an Ambassador to FRY. Foreign Minister, Laszlo Kovacs, stated his country had continuous diplomatic relations with Belgrade, where Hungarian Charge d'affaires has been since 1991, so there is no need for a new recognition of FRY.

Milan - an explosive device was launched yesterday upon the Consulate of FRY in Milan, Italian news-agency ANSA reported. There was neither human casualties nor material damages, except the deterioration of the exterior wall. Casualties were neither registered a day earlier when two such devices were launched upon the Consulate, but they were not activated. (end) A.S.

[07] UN CORRECTED RESOLUTION ON EX-YUGOSLAVIA SUCCESSION

An effort of SR Yugoslavia aiming to ensure an exclusive right of succession to SFR Yugoslavia, based on an UN document, opposite to existent resolutions of UN General Assembly and Security Council, was again unsuccessful. UN Contract-service published last month a document entitled "Summary of General Secretary praxis as a depositor of multilateral contracts". Within the frame of this document, Russian Federation is mentioned as a successor to USSR, FRY as a successor to SFR Yugoslavia, while, for instance Czechoslovakia does not exist any longer, for it was divided into two legal countries-successors.

It is also mentioned that General Assembly resolution 47/1, defining that FRY can not automatically overtake a membership of SFRY to UNO, does not necessarily means FRY is not a successor to SFRY. By using this document, Serbian diplomacy in Canada informed Canadian government and all foreign diplomats in Ottawa that "UN recognizes FRY as a unique successor to SFRY".

As a reaction to this document, Ambassadors of BH, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia, sent by the beginning of this month, a letter to UN General Secretary, Ghali. They referred to the mentioned resolution as well as to the Security Council resolution 777 and resolutions of EU arbitrary Commission, headed by Frenchman, Robert Badinter. Secretary General was informed that governments in Sarajevo, Zagreb, Skopje and Ljubljana will continue pursuing their common view point regarding the succession of former Yugoslavia and confront every attempt of omitting the relevant UN resolutions and Arbitrary Commission conclusions. American Ambassador to UN and President Clinton Foreign Policy Advisor, Madeleine Albright, also sent a letter to Ghali, pointing out constant view point of Washington claiming that SFRY ceased to exist and no country is, thus, its legal successor. Two days after U.S., the same message was sent by Germany and OIC members. Russia has not yet given its opinion on that issue, but the statement given by its former Ambassador to UNO, Yurii Vorontsov, is considered as very significant, claiming his country supports the resolution 777. UN Secretariat issued this week a correction of the document, saying that a mistake in the first version appeared due to "technical mistake and a lack of attention of the officials on the lower rank, which were not registered by leading persons in the law service" (end) A.S.

[08] IVICA SENDULA ON HIS IMPRISONMENT IN ZENICA

Ivica Sendula a Croat from Busovaca, arrested on Apr 4, 1996 at the Zenica bus station and released on Apr 10, commented the conditions in the Zenica prison where he was held in captivity. Sendula was imprisoned as the Higher Court in Zenica accused him of looting and setting fire to Bosniaks' houses in Busovaca. "During my imprisonment, I was fairly treated by Bosniak authorities. I was given a woman- lawyer who presented a number of evidence on my innocence. I was given a list with names of 158 Croats from the Lasva valley being accused of war crimes. I am no. 127 on the list," says Sendula. (end) A.S.