SARAJEVO, Jan 14 (Hina) - The international community's High Representative in Bosnia has announced the possibility of imposing sanctions against the country's Serb entity for its refusal to help in arresting former Bosnian Serb
leader Radovan Karadzic.
SARAJEVO, Jan 14 (Hina) - The international community's High
Representative in Bosnia has announced the possibility of imposing
sanctions against the country's Serb entity for its refusal to help
in arresting former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. #L#
In an interview with Sarajevo's Dnevni avaz daily of Tuesday, Paddy
Ashdown said Karadzic's arrest was the primary task of the
Republika Srpska (RS) authorities and not NATO's Stabilisation
Force.
The RS government has flunked that exam by all international laws
and it is fair to say it is time to consider some form of sanctions,
he was quoted as saying. Ashdown declined to speak about possible
measures, saying one should not tell the enemy one's intentions.
He did indicate the international community would concentrate its
activities aimed at apprehending Karadzic on wiping out the network
supporting and protecting him.
Concurrently with political pressure and cutting financing,
military commandos will continue their efforts to trace and arrest
Karadzic, Ashdown said, adding this would not be as easy as in the
past seven years.
The British diplomat also indicated that the customs and tax frauds
costing Bosnia-Herzegovina hundreds of millions of euros each year
were at least in part a source of money for Karadzic's protection.
Severing those links and forestalling the activities financing the
work of criminals and war crimes indictees will accelerate
Karadzic's arrest, said Ashdown.
Dnevni avaz recently claimed the key figure in paying Karadzic's
protection is his former interior minister Momcilo Mandic.
After the war Mandic went to Belgrade where he became one of the
major traders and importers of oil. Besides in Yugoslavia, he has a
chain of oil stations in RS and is suspected of regularly evading
the payment of taxes and customs.
Speaking to the Banja Luka-based Glas srpski, he dismissed the
Dnevni avaz claims as fabrications.
"I wish Karadzic all the happiness and health and that they never
arrest him, but as far as my involvement in the financing of his
protection is concerned, it amounts to nothing," he said.
(hina) ha