500 CROAT REFUGEES HAVE RETURNED TO BANJA LUKA FROM CROATIA TO DATE

MOSTAR, Oct 21 (Hina) - Five hundred Croat refugees returned this year from Croatia to Banja Luka, a spokesman for the regional Office of the High Representative (OHR) said in Mostar (southern Bosnia- Herzegovina) on Wednesday. Another 500 refugees from among minority ethnic groups returned to Banja Luka from the territory of the Croat-Muslim Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chris Riley told reporters. Not giving details as to the nationality of returnees from the latter group, Riley reported that these returns to the Bosnian Serb entity were mainly spontaneous and although not satisfactory, they still were encouraging. The main problem with the return process is the fact that Banja Luka is an overpopulated town, with 25,000 extra residents, Riley said, announcing the reconstruction of 200 houses for Croat and Muslim returnees next year. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) spokesman in Mostar Oliver Mouguet reported that 15 Serbs returned last week to the Mostar suburb of Pijeske. Another nine Serbs returned to the Capljina settlement of Lokve, he said. (hina) rml/ab.