LOCAL AUTHORITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR INCIDENTS IN BRCKO

SARAJEVO/ BRCKO, Aug 28 (Hina) - International supervisor for Brcko, Robert Farrand, stated Thursday that local Serb authorities were responsible for the breakout of Thursday's incident and violence against SFOR troops and the International Police Task Force (IPTF). #L# International High Representative's office said in a statement Thursday that Farrand had called the leaders of the Brcko municipal authorities and representatives of the town's Serb Democratic Party (SDS) on a meeting, warned them about their responsibility for the incident and asked them to immediately take action to calm the situation. The head of the High Representative's Office called on the crowd gathered in Brcko to disperse and that law and order be ensured. He warned the local leaders that the present actions could have negative repercussions both for the peace process and for the arbitration decision on the status of Brcko. Farrand especially condemned the provocative behaviour of the local media and spurring violence against SFOR and the international community. Such action of the media was unparalleled, irresponsible and dangerous, and those using incendiary comments would bear responsibility, the statement said. The radio broadcasting from Pale said on Thursday that "SFOR members today carried out an open aggression on Republika Srpska". (hina) lm 281707 MET aug 97