SCHUMACHER URGES RETURN OF DISPLACED TO BOSANSKA POSAVINA

( Editorial: --> 7762 ) SLAVONSKI BROD, April 18 (Hina) - Deputy to the international high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hans Schumacher, told Croats exiled from Bosanska Posavina (Republika Srpska) at a meetin in Slavonski Brod (Croatia) that he would personally advocate that the next meeting of the Association of Returnees to Bosanska Posavina be held in this Bosnian town. Recalling a provision of the Dayton Agreement stipulating the right of all displaced persons to return to their homes, Schumacher expressed dissatisfaction that many people had not been able to do so. He also said he was encouraged that the displaced persons from Bosanska Posavina were prepared to undertake measures by themselves. Stressing that extremists would not be allowed to hinder the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, he called on the displaced Croats to use words as weapons. The largest number of people have returned to the Bosnian Federation, Schumacher said. However, as the international community must treat everyone equally, it would request the same action from the government of Republika Srpska, he said. The issue of return to Bosanska Posavina would be the greatest test for the Republika Srpska government, and the issue would be mentioned at the international conference in Banja Luka on 28 April, Schumacher stressed. Chairman of the Bosanska Posavina Returnee Association, Ivo Krizanovic, said the displaced Croats did not want to live in Croatia or Germany, but in the internationally recognised, unified Bosnia-Herzegovina. Krizanovic said that the legally elected Croat representatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jadranko Prlic and Kresimmir Zubak, should be denied the right to speak on behalf of the displaced people from Bosanska Posavina, because, according to him, they had "betrayed their people". The displaced Croats, about 250,000 of them, will know how to elect new people who will fight for the existence of Croats in a unified Bosnia-Herzegovina, Krizanovic said. He added that he had found supporters in Sarajevo's Islam Community Centre who were prepared to fight for the return of all displaced persons to their homes. There were also Serbs who thought alike, he said. (hina) lm 181858 MET apr 98