$ R SARAJEVO/PRIJEDOR, 27 Oct (Hina) - Preventing the return of refugees to their homes, Bosnian Serb authorities are putting in question the legitimacy they won in the last elections, said Michael Steiner, deputy to the international
peace mediator in Bosnia, Carl Bildt, during today's visit to the village of Donja Mahala near Prijedor, in the Bosnian Serb entity.
STEINE
$ R
SARAJEVO/PRIJEDOR, 27 Oct (Hina) - Preventing the return of
refugees to their homes, Bosnian Serb authorities are putting in
question the legitimacy they won in the last elections, said
Michael Steiner, deputy to the international peace mediator in
Bosnia, Carl Bildt, during today's visit to the village of Donja
Mahala near Prijedor, in the Bosnian Serb entity. #L#
Accompanied by IFOR representatives and international police
(IPTF) members, Steiner visited the villages near Prijedor, from
which Bosniac residents had been expelled at the beginning of the
war. On 24 October this year, 93 houses were destroyed in those
villages.
Every destroyed house near Prijedor put in question legitimacy
of Republika Srpska, Steiner said.
The destruction of refugees' houses would be discussed at the
next session of the Bosnian Presidency, Steiner said, adding that
the Bosniac and Croat sides were also sometimes preventing the
return of refugees. He spoke about the situation in the Muslim-
controlled central Bosnian town of Bugojno and last week's burning
of houses in two Serb villages near Drvar, which is now under
Bosnian Croat control.
However, dimensions of responsibility could not be compared,
Steiner said, adding the Serb side was still leading in the
destruction of refugees' houses. The international community could
therefore consider denying financial help for the economic
reconstruction of Republika Srpska, Steiner said.
The results of IFOR investigations on the destruction of
houses around Prijedor confirmed that the destruction was part of a
well-organized operation aimed at preventing the return of
refugees.
Ninety three residential buildings and two mosques had been
destroyed with 700 to 800 anti-tank mines in the operation, Steiner
said.
IPTF deputy commissioner Robert Wasserman said that IPTF was
only supervising the investigation which was being conducted by
Prijedor police, since international police forces did not have
executive powers in such cases.
(hina) rm
272134 MET oct 96