SARAJEVO, Jan 5 (Hina) - The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina has sent a serious warning to Bosnia's Muslim political leadership over an incident in which a member of the mujahedeen community in a central Bosnian
village attacked a Norwegian SFOR member. According to Sarajevo's 'Oslobodjenje' daily of Wednesday, SFOR general Kjoel Grandhagen and his soldiers visited the village of Bocinja on January 26. Accompanying the soldiers was a Serb refugee who wanted to visit his house. According to the daily, the Norwegian general was attacked by a Sudanese named Omar Bejaovi, who, along with numerous other volunteers from Islamic countries who had fought in Bosnia, was granted Bosnian citizenship. The SFOR demanded that an investigation into the incident be carried out immediately and SFOR Chief Commander General Ronald Adams contacted the BH Presidency member Alija Izetbegovic in person. A
SARAJEVO, Jan 5 (Hina) - The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-
Herzegovina has sent a serious warning to Bosnia's Muslim political
leadership over an incident in which a member of the mujahedeen
community in a central Bosnian village attacked a Norwegian SFOR
member.
According to Sarajevo's 'Oslobodjenje' daily of Wednesday, SFOR
general Kjoel Grandhagen and his soldiers visited the village of
Bocinja on January 26. Accompanying the soldiers was a Serb refugee
who wanted to visit his house.
According to the daily, the Norwegian general was attacked by a
Sudanese named Omar Bejaovi, who, along with numerous other
volunteers from Islamic countries who had fought in Bosnia, was
granted Bosnian citizenship.
The SFOR demanded that an investigation into the incident be
carried out immediately and SFOR Chief Commander General Ronald
Adams contacted the BH Presidency member Alija Izetbegovic in
person.
According to the interior minister of Zenica-Doboj Canton, Zuhdija
Rovcanin, the police arrested the Sudanese on January 27 and he
could soon face court proceedings.
It is possible that charges will be pressed also against another
two mujahedeen as the SFOR has requested it.
Local authorities decided to take more decisive action after a
warning by the Norwegian-Polish SFOR brigade that it might launch a
military operation against the perpetrators from Bocinja because
it believed the presence of mujahedeen in the area was a major
obstacle to the return of refugees.
The incident was also confirmed by SFOR spokesman Paul Hubbard, who
told 'Oslobodjenje' that a person had pushed the Norwegian general
while he was leaving his vehicle, after which a minor scuffle
occurred.
The Zagreb-based weekly 'Globus' recently said that a training
centre for the mujahedeen exists near Bocinja, from where they are
being sent to Chechnya.
Hubbard told the Sarajevo daily those claims were checked but no
evidence was found to support them.
(hina) rml