ZAGREB, Mar 10 (Hina) - Croatia and Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia's Serb entity, on Thursday committed to enable the return of all refugees willing to do so. According to current data, the number of Bosnian Croats willing to return to
RS is far higher than that of Croatian Serbs willing to return to Croatia. Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and RS Premier Milorad Dodik in a joint statement signed in Bosnian Serb capital Banja Luka yesterday took the obligation to ensure the return of all refugees willing to do so. Data of Croatia's Office for Displaced Persons, Returnees and Refugees and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees show that 1,500 Croatian Serbs willing to return from RS to pre-war homes in Croatia, and about 12,000 Bosnian Croats willing to return to RS, have thus far submitted requests to do so. Croatia's Assistant Minister for Public Works, Reconst
ZAGREB, Mar 10 (Hina) - Croatia and Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia's
Serb entity, on Thursday committed to enable the return of all
refugees willing to do so. According to current data, the number of
Bosnian Croats willing to return to RS is far higher than that of
Croatian Serbs willing to return to Croatia.
Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and RS Premier Milorad
Dodik in a joint statement signed in Bosnian Serb capital Banja Luka
yesterday took the obligation to ensure the return of all refugees
willing to do so.
Data of Croatia's Office for Displaced Persons, Returnees and
Refugees and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees show
that 1,500 Croatian Serbs willing to return from RS to pre-war homes
in Croatia, and about 12,000 Bosnian Croats willing to return to RS,
have thus far submitted requests to do so.
Croatia's Assistant Minister for Public Works, Reconstruction and
Building, Lovro Pejkovic, on Friday told Hina "it is necessary to
considerably increase in relation to the current figure the number
of Croats returning to Republika Srpska." Croatia has already said
it will accept the return of each of its citizens, without
limitations, he added.
Pejkovic hopes there now exist conditions for returns to RS to
begin. Thus far, only 500 Bosnian Croats have returned there,
mainly cases involving mixed marriages.
"Thus far, we haven't received an answer to any of the requests for
return we submitted to RS," Pejkovic said.
He explained the frequently used argument that Croatian Serbs were
an obstacle to the return of Bosnian Croats and Muslims to RS did not
stand. The number of Croatian Serbs in RS is about 40,000, whereas
almost all Bosnian Croats from RS were exiled, 80,000 to Croatia,
and a considerable number to other countries.
Some 14,000 Croatian Serbs who have submitted requests to return to
Croatia have still not done so. Among them are 1,514 who are in RS,
while the rest is in Yugoslavia.
"This is what the situation looks like at present," UNHCR spokesman
Andrej Mahecic told Hina today.
Croatia and RS have taken the obligation to within three months
collect all return requests. Their number could increase
considerably now that the two sides expressed willingness to ensure
the return of all willing to do so.
"We expect an increase in the number of return requests, and we
shall start collecting them in a week," said Pejkovic, who added "it
will not function without money."
The international community has promised it will discuss Croatia's
request for a US$55 million donation for a project for the return of
16,500 Croatian Serbs. Bosnia-Herzegovina has requested DM38
million for a project for transborder returns and another DM180
million for returns within Bosnia's two entities.
"These aren't sums which could satisfy the needs of the entire
return, but they are initial sums," Pejkovic said, adding "more
substantial sums could come next year."
(hina) ha mm