SARENGRAD, Aug 3 (Hina) - Some 100 residents of the eastern-most town of Sarengrad gathered on the bank of the Danube on Sunday to once again draw public attention to the need of resolving the issue of the Croatian-Yugoslav border on
the Danube as soon as possible.
SARENGRAD, Aug 3 (Hina) - Some 100 residents of the eastern-most
town of Sarengrad gathered on the bank of the Danube on Sunday to
once again draw public attention to the need of resolving the issue
of the Croatian-Yugoslav border on the Danube as soon as possible.
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The gathering was organised by the authorities of nearby Ilok in the
wake of an incident which occurred last Sunday when the Yugoslav
army arrested a group of Sarengrad residents, including Vukovar-
Srijem County prefect Nikola Safer, taking them into custody in a
barracks in Backa Palanka, on the Yugoslav bank of the Danube.
Safer said the gathering aimed at sending "pacifist messages" as
putting the Danube to civilian use was a common interest.
Safer called on Yugoslav authorities to withdraw the army from the
border on the Danube, and evaluated the time had come for reaching a
final solution to minority issues in Croatia and securing civilian
living in border areas.
Also in attendance was War Veterans Minister Ivica Pancic who,
commenting on Yugoslavia's refusal to withdraw the army from the
Danube, said that for the settlement of the border issue, it was
evidently necessary to "wait for the further democratisation of
Yugoslavia and Serbia."
He maintained Croatia need not appear anxious as "both the Badinter
Commission conclusions and cadastral elements are on our side."
Ilok mayor Zvonimir Dragun told reporters that besides a river
islet (Sarengradska Ada), also contentious were some 270 hectares
of forest on the land border, which Yugoslavia does not govern but
its army controls.
Backa Palanka municipal representatives were invited to today's
gathering but did not attend.
"Our relations after the incident have remained good. Backa Palanka
local authorities are not laying claims to the river islet or
disputing out right to it," said Dragun. He added the Danube had to
be turned into a river from which all living by it would benefit.
"That's why any military presence by the Danube is superfluous," he
said.
The river islet is one of a dozen contentious points in Croatia-
Yugoslavia negotiations. Although in Croatian cadastral books, it
was occupied by the Yugoslav army back in 1991. The army has not let
Sarengrad's residents visit it since. Up until the 1990s war, these
people grazed hundreds of cattle and horses, as well as thousands of
pigs, on the islet, living from the breeding.
According to prefect Safer, some 10,000 hectares of Croatian
territory along the Danube is still controlled by Yugoslavia and
around 3,000 on the Croatian side is laid claim to by Yugoslavia.
(hina) ha