B. FEDERATION DEPUTY PRESIDENT PROTESTS OVER NEGLECT OF DISPLACED CROATS

CROATS ( Editorial: --> 5934 ) SARAJEVO, April 10 (Hina) - Deputy President of the Bosnian Federation Vladimir Soljic on Thursday sent a protest letter to senior international community officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Soljic protested over the exclusion of local authorities in Drvar and Croat officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina from the process of return of Serbs to the municipality. In a letter forwarded to the high international representative, Carlos Westendorp, his deputies Hans Shcumacher and Jacques Klein, and Sfor commander, General Eric Shinseki, Soljic recalled the fact that more Serbs had returned to Drvar (west Bosnia) than Croats in the whole of Republika Srpska. Soljic also recalled that the Croat side, the Bosnian Federation army, had completely implemented the agreement on moving the army from the centre of the town so that Serbs could return to Drvar. He stressed that the Croat side was also fully prepared to realise the Annex VII of the Dayton Agreement pertaining to the return of refugees and displaced persons, including the return of Serbs to Drvar. However, Soljic accentuated his concern with the fact that the return of Croats, the least numerous people in Bosnia-Herzegovina but the most subject to exile, was being neglected, nor were they being helped or protected as were Drvar Serbs. "We have requested several times, and we are requesting again, that you ensure conditions simultaneously and in the exact same manner and enable the return of Croats to Bosanski Brod, Derventa, Banja Luka and other places in Republika Srpska where they had lived for centuries," Soljic said in his letter. He also said it was utterly incorrect for Croats to be offered to return to places in which they had lived in small numbers, such as Sipovo. (hina) lm jn 101119 MET apr 98