UNHCR CONFIRMS FRESH DEPORTATIONS OF CROATS FROM BANJA LUKA

SARAJEVO, May 28 (Hina) - UNHCR (UN relief agency) spokesman Chris Janowski today confirmed reports of fresh deportations of Croats from the Banja Luka area, north-western Bosnia. Serbs have already settled in several houses in the village of Debeljaci, 5 km north of Banja Luka, from which a large number of Croats was expelled yesterday, Janowski said, quoting Catholic Church sources. The settlers were Serbs recently arrived from western Slavonia, Janowski said. Serb armed groups threatened the Croats still living in the villages of Sargovac and Prijecani that they would be expelled before June 1, Janowski said. The Serb authorities in Banja Luka said they knew nothing about these deportations, but meanwhile armed Serbs continued the ethnic cleansing of Bosanska Krajina and nobody interfered with them, Janowski said. Before this latest wave of ethnic cleansing, there were 10,000 Croats in Banja Luka and about 30,000 in the whole region of Bosanska Krajina, Janowski said. (hina) as 281709 MET may 95