SARAJEVO, Feb 23 (Hina) - The NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) command in Bosnia-Herzegovina decided to intensify the presence of its soldiers in the eastern Bosnian town of Foca, after the international diplomats assessed that
anarchy was reigning in that part of Bosnian Serb entity. A spokesman for SFOR, Glen Chamberlain, said in Sarajevo on Tuesday that they had started with an operation to considerably step up the presence of peace troops in Foca. New measures include the set-up of check-points and the control of people and cars with an aim to find arms or explosive devices. According to current figures, a number of war crimes suspects are hiding in the area of Foca. During such check-ups we will search for war criminals as well, Chamberlain said. According to reports of international representatives, anarchy which had reigned Foca for some time, became worse after the recent killing of
SARAJEVO, Feb 23 (Hina) - The NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR)
command in Bosnia-Herzegovina decided to intensify the presence of
its soldiers in the eastern Bosnian town of Foca, after the
international diplomats assessed that anarchy was reigning in that
part of Bosnian Serb entity.
A spokesman for SFOR, Glen Chamberlain, said in Sarajevo on Tuesday
that they had started with an operation to considerably step up the
presence of peace troops in Foca.
New measures include the set-up of check-points and the control of
people and cars with an aim to find arms or explosive devices.
According to current figures, a number of war crimes suspects are
hiding in the area of Foca. During such check-ups we will search for
war criminals as well, Chamberlain said.
According to reports of international representatives, anarchy
which had reigned Foca for some time, became worse after the recent
killing of a Bosnian Serb war criminal, Dragan Gagovic. He was
killed while he resisted attempts of French soldiers to apprehend
him.
In the wake of that event, a police station of the International
Police Force (IPTF) in Foca was exposed to an attack of a mob. After
that the IPTF and other international organisations withdrew their
staff from that town.
A UN spokeswoman in Sarajevo, Kelly Moore, said that since then IPTF
policemen had been coming to Foca from the nearby town of Gorazde
occasionally during a day to oversee the work of local police.
According to our estimates, the Foca police, including their
commander, want to do their job but they are obstructed, Moore said
adding that the obstruction is coming from the political circles.
The UN spokeswoman could not say exactly who is blocking the work of
the Foca police and who is virtually controlling the situation in
that town.
This should be asked the Foca police, she replied.
The SFOR spokesman said NATO soldiers would not take over the duties
of the police adding that the Bosnian Serb entity's authorities are
expected to take action to establish the rule-of-law in that
eastern town.
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