SERBIAN INTERIOR MINISTER TO TENDER HIS RESIGNATION

BELGRADE, Nov 13 (Hina) - Serbian Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic will offer his resignation to Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. His decision aims at discontinuing an armed riot by the ministry's special units, the so-called "red berets", and restoring peace among citizens. Mihajlovic made this statement in Stolac, near Kula in Vojvodina, a location of the unit's training centre. The "berets" have blocked several important roads around Belgrade and in northern Serbia in the past four days. After having talked to the unit's members for more than three hours, Mihajlovic confirmed the unit stood by its demands for his resignation, passing a law on cooperation between Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) for the former Yugoslavia, and asking that the arrests of Serbs, indicted by the ICTY, be discontinued. Asked whether the protest which began last Friday was now over, a representative of the "berets" said all demands have been met and the unit is returning to regular activities. He did not, however, exclude the possibility of further protests should Mihajlovic fail to hand in his resignation. Members of "berets" said the arrest of the Banovic brothers last Thursday in Obrenovac, near Belgrade, and their immediate extradition to The Hague Tribunal, had instigated their riot. They claim they did not know whom they had to arrest, and were verbally informed by Mihajlovic that the persons in question had to answer for grave crimes. The "berets" said they were hoaxed regarding the arrest of the Banovic brothers who have been accused of crimes in the Keraterm detention near Prijedor in north-western Bosnia in 1992. They also believe they themselves may be arrested and extradited to The Hague as well because of their activities in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. (hina) np sb