CROATS, MOSLEMS SIGN AGREEMENT ON RESOLVING PROBLEMS IN BUGOJNO

BUGOJNO, Dec 17 (Hina) - After a ten-hour meeting held on Monday under the mediation of the international mediator for the Bosnian Federation, Christian Schwartz-Schilling, representatives of Croats and Moslems from Bugojno signed an agreement on the establishment of a transitional local authority in line with the Bosnian Federation Constitution and the Dayton pilot project of return of Croats to this central Bosnian town. The agreement was signed by acting head of the Bugojno Municipal Council, Dzevad Mlaco, on behalf of the Moslems, and president of the Bugojno Municipal Council, Ivan Miletic, on behalf of the Croats. Present at the meeting were ombudswomen Vera Jovanovic and Branka Raguz, as well as representatives of IFOR, police forces and OSCE, situated in Bugojno. Participants in the meeting, which ended at 2.00 hours Tuesday morning, agreed that a session of the transitional municipal council would take place on 27 January next year. The agreement stipulates that the Bugojno municipality would fulfill Dayton Agreement commitments on the return of Croat families. Head of Moslem authorities in Bugojno, Dzevad Mlaco, pledged to establish a Bosnian Federation ombudsman's office in the town who would protect persons in cases of human rights violations. The work of the housing commission was unsatisfactory, and all employees who did not respect Dayton accords and the Bosnian Federation Constitution, especially concerning human rights, would be suspended, the agreement stipulated. Bugojno is one of four towns in the Bosnian federation (two under Croat and two under Moslem control) which are included in the Dayton pilot-project of the return of Croat and Moslem families. The return to Bugojno had started, but because of intimidation and abuse of Croats, some families have had to move out again. By tolerating the abuse of Croats, local authorities had obviously supported the obstruction of the return of refugees, about which Bugojno Croats had complained several times to the Bosnian federation highest authorities and international community representatives. (hina) lm jn 171218 MET dec 96