INTERNATIONAL, FEDERATION REPS DISCUSS REFUGEE RETURN

NEUM, Dec 4 (Hina) - It is planned that in 1999 120,000 Bosnian refugees will return to the areas where they are not a majority population, international officials said at Friday's meeting with Croat and Muslim officials, held in Neum, southern Bosnia- Herzegovina. The head of the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) civil sector in BH, General Tessmer, said the SFOR supported the strategy of return and would hold the three-member state presidency and entity governments responsible for its implementation. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees head in Bosnia Barry Rigby agreed with Tessmer's assessment that refugees should be allowed to freely choose where to return. President of the Croat-Muslim Federation Ejup Ganic warned of the danger of manipulation with the term 'free choice', which in his opinion 'could annihilate the Dayton agreement'. Instead, Ganic advocated the equal return to all areas of Bosnia- Herzegovina. Ninety-five per cent of current political leaders in the Bosnian Serb entity are building a strategy to prevent Croat and Muslim refugees from returning to their homes, Ganic noted. (hina) rml