BOSNIAN SERBS ABDUCT 16 AT SARAJEVO SUBURB

SARAJEVO, Jan 2 (Hina) - Bosnian Serbs have abducted 16 persons, travelling to or from Sarajevo, at the western access roads over past 10 days, a Bosnian government official said Tuesday. The group included a family of four, with two underage children, while the others were adult men, said Hasan Muratovic minister in charge for relations with the Implementation Force (IFOR). #L# Muratovic urged the IFOR officials to guarantee security on the roads, saying they were acquainted with every single case of detainment at the Sarajevo Serb-held suburb of Ilidza. Key roads from Sarajevo to west and north-west pass through Ilidza. "But they have failed to do anything so far," Muratovic complained. The IFOR has so far claimed to have no evidence on any real case of abduction of the passengers, but Muratovic said he had "in person, for at least three times, met senior IFOR officers and informed them on the incidents." He forwarded his latest communique on Tuesday morning, stating each case's names, time and place of detainment, abduction and robbery. "They (IFOR) must find a way to release the detained citizens," he said, adding that the Serbs had already offered eight of them for a usual prisoners-of-war exchange, considering the civilians as military personnel. Bosnian foreign minister Muhamed Sacirbey recalled on Tuesday that the security on the roads was the IFOR's responsibility, as the freedom of movement was a part of the peace accords. Officials with IFOR however say that the issue was not in their but in the scope of the Carl Bildt's office. Former Swedish prime minister and former European Union mediator has been appointed as an international high representative for implementation of civilian aspects of the Dayton peace accord. (Hina) mm bk 021908 MET jan 96