SARAJEVO, Sept 10 (Hina) - Deputy High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, David Haselock, on Friday said the statement by a Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency member Alija Izetbegovic, which called for disobeying court rulings on the
eviction from flats and houses of returnees, actually demonstrated disrespect for the Dayton agreement. Speaking to reporters in Sarajevo, Haselock said the statement could have serious consequences for the Bosniak political leader. According to Haselock, High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch has taken Izetbegovic's statement, which called for the violation of law, very seriously, and will seek an explanation from Izetbegovic in a meeting. Heselock said Izetbegovic not only called for the violation of law but was speaking about a law which did not even exist. There is no law which envisages the eviction of refugees if no alternative accomm
SARAJEVO, Sept 10 (Hina) - Deputy High Representative in Bosnia-
Herzegovina, David Haselock, on Friday said the statement by a
Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency member Alija Izetbegovic, which
called for disobeying court rulings on the eviction from flats and
houses of returnees, actually demonstrated disrespect for the
Dayton agreement.
Speaking to reporters in Sarajevo, Haselock said the statement
could have serious consequences for the Bosniak political leader.
According to Haselock, High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch has
taken Izetbegovic's statement, which called for the violation of
law, very seriously, and will seek an explanation from Izetbegovic
in a meeting.
Heselock said Izetbegovic not only called for the violation of law
but was speaking about a law which did not even exist. There is no
law which envisages the eviction of refugees if no alternative
accommodation has been secured, he added.
The Deputy High Representative also refuted Izetbegovic's
objections that the Office of the High Representative was
continually exerting pressure on the Bosniak side regarding the
return of refugees, whereas the Bosnian Serb authorities were being
spared such a treatment.
Haselock said it was true that refugees were returning to the
Republika Srpska at a slower pace than the OHR would desire but the
return was nevertheless happening.
UNHCR spokesman Ariane Queintier presented data according to which
a little less than 95,000 refugees have returned to their homes in
Bosnia-Herzegovina since the signing of the Dayton agreement,
within the so-called minority returns (registered with the
UNHCR).
Most of them (84,000) returned to the Croat-Muslim Federation of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, whereas the remaining 10,000 returned to the
Serb entity.
UNHCR statistics shows that by the end of June this year a little
more than 40,000 Croats returned to their homes within minority
return projects, mostly to the BH Federation.
About 21,000 Bosniaks returned by the same date to the Croat-
dominated parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and another 9,800 returned
to the Republika Srpska.
In the same period, about 23,000 Serbs returned to the Federation.
A total of 336,000 refugees and 265,000 displaced persons returned
to their homes in the period between the end of the war in Bosnia-
Herzegovina and June this year.
(hina) jn rml