BUGOJNO INCIDENTS THREATEN OVERALL RETURN OF REFUGEES

SARAJEVO, Aug 18 (Hina) - A coordination of Croat officials in bodies of authority of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Federation of BH on Monday assessed the 16 August mining and burning of houses in Curcic Lug, a village in the municipality of Bugojno (central BH), as a direct blow to the process of return of refugees and displaced persons to the territory of the BH Federation. A statement issued to the press on behalf of the coordination of Croat officials by Federation President Vladimir Soljic's office said Soljic had already requested a decisive investigation to be carried out by the federal Interior Ministry. "Such incidents, which have lately increased in frequency, especially in the municipalities of Travnik and Bugojno, seriously threaten the improved return in other parts of the Federation. The President of the Federation of BH has for this reason requested that an investigation into that incident be swift and effective, and that the perpetrators of those terrorist acts be discovered and prosecuted", said the statement. Today, President Soljic held talks on the matter with ambassadors of Contact Group member-countries. For the next session of the BH Federation Forum, the Croat side will propose that the issue be one of the most prominent in discussion. Late in the evening last Saturday, three houses were mined and one was hit with an anti-tank rocket in the village of Lug, 5 km from central Bugojno. Two hand grenades were thrown at the houses as well, but the attack caused no victims. According to the 1991 census the village of Lug had 70 houses and 382 residents, 99% of them Croats. Since July 1993 all houses in the village were destroyed or damaged. The Swedish and Swiss Caritas had invested some 400,000 German marks into the reconstruction of 50 houses in the village. By 5 August, 18 houses were reconstructed and 10 families returned to their homes. However, the donors stopped investing into the reconstruction of the village due to frequent cases of mining (one house was mined three times), theft of construction material and security situation in the municipality. (hina) rm ha jn 182051 MET aug 97