30% OF PRE-WAR RESIDENTS RETURNED TO VUKOVAR COUNTY

VUKOVAR, Dec 28 (Hina) - About 13,000 persons with returnee status have returned to the Vukovar-Srijem County, in the Croatian Danube River Region, by early December of 1998. According to the Regional Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Vinkovci, another 3,000 persons who returned to the region have not yet acquired returnee status. The largest number of returns was registered in the villages of Ceric and Marinci, in the Nustar municipality, the Office's head Ante Drmic said and added that about 70 percent of people who had been exiled in 1991, returned to the Nustar area. Sixty six percent of the pre-war population have returned to Nijemci, a village in the "Srijem triangle", as well as to other villages of the area - Ilok (44%), Lovas (31%), and Tompojevci (29%). The lowest percentage of returns was registered in the town of Vukovar, where only eight percent of the pre-war residents have returned. By the beginning of December, about 30 percent of displaced population have returned to the Vukovar-Srijem county, while another 37,000 are to return. Considering the economic situation, which greatly affects the return to the Vukovar area, we could be satisfied with the course of returns so far, Drmic said and added that the mass return to the region was expected in spring next year. (hina) it/rml