OSCE MISSION TO BOSNIA OPPOSES ENTITY BORDERS

MOSTAR/TREBINJE, April 30 (Hina) - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia- Herzegovina on Tuesday opposed the existence of entity borders between the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. #L# The head of the OSCE Mission Office for south-eastern Bosnia- Herzegovina in Trebinje, Thomas Timbermann, said that entity borders prevented the establishment of civil society in the country. Timbermann was speaking at a meeting of political parties from southern parts of the BH Federation and south-eastern parts of Republika Srpska, the first such political gathering in Trebinje. The Trebinje area borders with Montenegro and is considered the stronghold of supporters of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) and former Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who was indicted by the Hague tribunal for war crimes against non-Serbs. It has been claimed in political circles that Karadzic occasionally hides in the Trebinje area, i.e. in eastern Herzegovina. Timbermann called on political representatives from eastern Herzegovina to start tackling economic problems in Herzegovina in cooperation with political officials from southern parts of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. If that does not happen, poverty will affect all, regardless of their national or ethnic background, Timbermann said. The establishment of a joint economic council, to stimulate economic development in Herzegovina, was agreed on in principle at the meeting. Before the war, Croats accounted for four percent and Bosniaks for around 16 percent of the population of Trebinje municipality. Almost all of them have left their homes. Only several dozen Croats and several hundred Bosniaks currently live in Trebinje, it was said at the meeting. Around 50 percent of pre-war residents of Trebinje have managed to claim back their property. However, the number of refugees who have returned to their homes is not even close to that figure, because refugees fear for their security. (hina) rml sb