SCHWARZ-SCHILLING: COUNCIL FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF FEDERATION SHOULD BE FORMED

BE FORMED SARAJEVO, 19 Nov (Hina) - The international mediator for the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, on Tuesday stated that it was necessary to widen the mandate of the force which is to replace the International Implementation force (IFOR) and expressed hope that agreement on that issue would be reached at the conference on the implementation of the Peace agreement, to be held in London at the beginning of December. Speaking at a press conference in Sarajevo, where he is staying after a several-day visit to different parts of the Federation, Schwarz-Schilling said that the return of refugees was the most important question of the Dayton peace agreement and that efforts had to be made in the future with the aim of solving that question. #L# Refugees could not return without security guarantees and possibility to freely chose the place they want to live in, he said. He also warned that the local police forces in the Bosnian Serb entity, but also in some parts of the Croat-Muslim Federation, were acting against laws and the Dayton peace agreement. International military and police forces should secure adequate conditions for a safe return of refugees, he said. Schwarz-Schilling also stressed the importance of establishing a Council for the establishment of the Federation as soon as possible. Such a body would be an effective mechanism for the removal of officials who were impeding the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, which had been signed by the highest representatives of the Bosniac and Croat peoples, Schwarz-Schilling said. (hina) rm jn 191333 MET nov 96