PRLIC CONDEMNS INCIDENTS IN BANJA LUKA

MOSTAR, May 7 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina's Deputy Foreign Trade Minister and the head of the Croatian coordination, the association of Croat parties participating in the authority, Jadranko Prlic, on Monday condemned incidents in Banja Luka and Trebinje and called upon the authorities and the international community to deal with the thugs. Thousands of Serbs in the Bosnian Serb capital of Banja Luka on Monday prevented the laying of a foundation stone for the rebuilding of a mosque demolished in 1993. One hour and a half before the ceremony scheduled for 11.30 a.m., a large group of protesters surrounded the site of what was once Banja Luka's biggest mosque and blocked access to representatives of the Islamic community, numerous diplomats and staff with the international community active in Bosnia who wanted to attend. The crowd hurled insults at members of the Bosnian Muslim community and set several religious flags on fire. The Bosnian Serb police were unable to prevent the stoning of the few who managed to reach the place where the foundation stone was to be laid. The invitees, among whom was the head of the United Nations Mission to Bosnia, Jacques Klein, were forced to seek shelter on the premises of the Islamic Community, where they were blocked. The state authority and the international community must show stronger determination in order to avoid violence which is taking place in southern Serbia and Macedonia, Prlic said. (hina) it sb