SARAJEVO, 4 Aug (Hina) - The situation in the area of Jajce, central Bosnia, following this weekend's incidents, is much calmer today, but it is only the result of the fact that there are no more Bosniacs in the villages in Jajce
area, as they were forced to leave their homes, UN spokesman in Sarajevo Alexander Ivanko told a press conference Monday noon.
SARAJEVO, 4 Aug (Hina) - The situation in the area of Jajce,
central Bosnia, following this weekend's incidents, is much
calmer today, but it is only the result of the fact that there
are no more Bosniacs in the villages in Jajce area, as they were
forced to leave their homes, UN spokesman in Sarajevo Alexander
Ivanko told a press conference Monday noon. #L#
Additional NATO forces have been deployed in the area of
Jajce with the aim of securing freedom of movement, Stabilisation
Force (SFOR) spokesman John Blakely said, adding that NATO would
continue to control the area. However, responsibility for the
safety of civilians lies primarily with the local police, he
added.
Some 500 Bosniacs, who had returned to their villages in
the past two weeks, fled seven villages in Jajce area in the past
two days, UN spokesman Ivanko said. The Bosniacs were forced to
leave their homes by the local Croats, who opposed the return of
refugees, he added.
Press reports on a case of arson in the village of Kruscica
have been confirmed, Ivanko said. A body was found in the house
which had been set afire, Ivanko said adding that it was
suspected that the person was killed. An investigation into the
case is under way.
The incidents near Jajce started on Friday, after a group
of Croats blocked a road leading to Sarajevo, Ivanko said. The
barricade was later removed, but two new barricades appeared on
Saturday, Ivanko said, adding that International Police Task
Force (IPTF) members registered some 100 persons standing on each
of the two barricades.
Although IPTF demanded that the barricades be removed, the
Croat police refused to act, the UN spokesman said. On the night
between Saturday and Sunday, 370 Bosniacs were expelled from
their homes by gangs, made up of local Croats, who were mostly
drunk. To date, some 500 Bosniac returnees have been expelled, he
added.
At least nine Bosniac houses were set afire during the
incidents, Ivanko said.
The local authorities in Jajce failed to protect the
returnees despite clear requests by the international community,
including the U.N. Mission.
IPTF has started an investigation because it is suspected
that members of the local Croat police participated in the
incidents, Ivanko said.
The UN spokesman accused the local police of doing
absolutely nothing to protect the Bosniac returnees.
The U.N. High Commission for Refugees is appalled at what
happened in Jajce, UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski said. He
demanded from the Croat side to immediately secure the return of
Bosniac refugees to their homes in Jajce area. The refugees were
not expelling anyone from their homes, but returning to their
completely empty and destroyed houses, he added.
Some leaders in this country are mistaken if they think
that Annex VII of the Dayton agreement is just a piece of paper
which should be ignored. On the contrary, it is the key to the
Dayton agreement and without the return of refugees, especially
those belonging to minority groups, there will be no lasting
peace in this country, and that could endanger the whole peace
process, Janowski said, claiming that the attacks on Bosniac
refugees near Jajce had obviously been organised and carried out
with the consent of municipal authorities.
The international community will insist that all expelled
returnees return to their homes within 48 hours, spokesman for
the Office of the High Representative, Simon Haselock, said.
Otherwise, political officials responsible for the attacks will
have to face the consequences, he added.
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