bosnet-digest V5 #74 / Wednesday, 21 February 1996

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@EE.MCGILL.CA>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

Subject:   bosnet-digest V5 #74 / Wednesday, 21 February 1996

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@EE.MCGILL.CA>

CONTENTS

[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 <ErkocevicM@aol.com>

Dzevat Omeragic <Dzevat@ee.mcgill.ca>

Davor Wagner <DWagner@mailbox.syr.edu>

Nermin Zukic <N6Zukic@sms.business.uwo.ca>

[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

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 <ErkocevicM@aol.com>

Dzevat Omeragic <Dzevat@ee.mcgill.ca>

Davor Wagner <DWagner@mailbox.syr.edu>

Nermin Zukic <N6Zukic@sms.business.uwo.ca>