UNHCR TO URGE REFUGEES TO RETURN TO SEPARATION ZONE

SARAJEVO, Oct 16 (Hina) - UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is to launch a media promotion to instigate the return of refugees into abandoned villages in the zone of separation between the Bosnian Federation and the Serb entity, UNHCR spokesman in Sarajevo Mans Nyberg said on Wednesday. This had been decided at Tuesday's meeting at which representatives of the Bosnian Federation and Republika Srpska, with the mediation of Bildt's deputy Michael Steiner, had agreed that refugees should gradually return to these areas, Nyberg said. The agreed measures guaranteed the process of return to continue and authorities in both entities had committed to full cooperation, Nyberg said. According to Annex VII of the Dayton Agreement, lawful owners had the right to reconstruct their houses and move in, based on a registry which would be evaluated and approved by the UNHCR, Nyberg said. The agreed regulations stipulate that bringing weapons to the zone of separation was highly prohibited. So far, there is no accurate information about how many abandoned villages there are in the separation zone which stretches two kilometres each side of both entities, but it is estimated that there are many because the border line alone is 1,095 kilometres long. (hina) lm mm 161703 MET oct 96