SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, Jan 24 (Hina) - The prime minister of the Bosnian Serb entity, Dragan Mikerevic, on Friday appealed to all war crimes indictees, including Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, to surrender. He said Republika
Srpska authorities would in the coming period assume their part of commitments to bring all suspects at large to justice.
SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, Jan 24 (Hina) - The prime minister of the
Bosnian Serb entity, Dragan Mikerevic, on Friday appealed to all
war crimes indictees, including Bosnian Serb leader Radovan
Karadzic, to surrender. He said Republika Srpska authorities would
in the coming period assume their part of commitments to bring all
suspects at large to justice. #L#
After speaking to the U.S. ambassador in charge of war crimes
issues, Pierre-Rochard Prosper, Mikerevic told reporters "not one
person, whoever he may be, was worth the suffering of an entire
people".
Under evident pressure from the United States, Mikerevic announced
that the entity's Interior Ministry and secret service would
improve their cooperation in exchanging intelligence with the
European Union's Police Mission in Bosnia (EUPM) and the
Stabilisation Force, with an aim to arrest persons sought by the
U.N. war crimes tribunal (ICTY).
Authorities in Banja Luka have until now persistently claimed that
they had no information about any of the war crimes suspects hiding
in the Serb entity.
After the talks, Prosper said that Karadzic's extradition was the
main condition for America's future financial support to Republika
Srpska. He did not determine any concrete deadlines for the
fulfilment of this task, however.
During his stay in Sarajevo, the American ambassador said on
Thursday that the U.S. was prepared to search for Karadzic as long
as it was necessary, and added that the ICTY would not close its
doors until Karadzic was brought in.
Prosper indicated that his government had already received useful
information which could help in apprehending war criminals.
Without mentioning Karadzic directly, the ambassador told
reporters that his government had paid USD250,000 in rewards to
persons who had provided important information. This amount was
paid as part of the "Award for Justice" programme which offers up to
five million dollars to people who help to apprehend the most wanted
war criminals, especially Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
(hina) lml sb