SARAJEVO, April 16 (Hina) - The international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch and the chief commander of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in that country, General Michael Dodson, on
Friday warned that the international community would not tolerate violence and physical threats which were seen in the streets of the southern city of Mostar that day. The Austrian diplomat and the US General issued a joint statement in Sarajevo on Friday afternoon assessing that the Mostar incidents were caused by the extremist elements of the HDZ BiH political party and its supporters in their bid to stop the check-up of the business activities of "Hercegovacka Banka", which is under well-founded suspicion of financing illegal parallel bodies of authority (the Croat-self rule). According to their statement several local civilians, policemen, SFOR members and some
SARAJEVO, April 16 (Hina) - The international community's High
Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch and the
chief commander of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in that
country, General Michael Dodson, on Friday warned that the
international community would not tolerate violence and physical
threats which were seen in the streets of the southern city of
Mostar that day.
The Austrian diplomat and the US General issued a joint statement in
Sarajevo on Friday afternoon assessing that the Mostar incidents
were caused by the extremist elements of the HDZ BiH political party
and its supporters in their bid to stop the check-up of the business
activities of "Hercegovacka Banka", which is under well-founded
suspicion of financing illegal parallel bodies of authority (the
Croat-self rule).
According to their statement several local civilians, policemen,
SFOR members and some workers of international organisations were
hurt in the street riots in Mostar.
Threats against individuals - deliberate and calculated threats
which remind of those from the war - are a criminal act and will no
longer be tolerated. Persons responsible for the threats,
including the leadership of the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union of
Bosnia-Herzegovina) which incited them, will be regarded as
personally accountable for all inflicted injuries, Petritsch and
Dodson said.
The US Embassy in Sarajevo also condemned the incidents in Mostar.
According to a statement it issued, the developments in Mostar will
be detrimental only to Bosnian Croats' interests and rights. Local
authorities are called to take adequate measures to establish order
and the rule of law.
(hina) sb ms