SARAJEVO, Oct 18 (Hina) - IFOR spokesman in Sarajevo Bratt Boudreau said on Friday that the excavation of a field in Banja Luka (Serb entity) where the Ferhadija mosque had once stood, had ceased temporarily. On the request of Carl
Bildt, IFOR troops arrived at the place where Serb authorities had begun to excavate the field with bulldozers. The Serbs' official explanation given to IFOR troops was that they wanted to tear down an old, previously damaged building, and to inspect an unmarked grave which is allegedly on the same location. Boudreau said that no attempts had been made to tear down the only remaining building of the Islamic community in Banja Luka which was in very near proximity.
SARAJEVO, Oct 18 (Hina) - IFOR spokesman in Sarajevo Bratt Boudreau
said on Friday that the excavation of a field in Banja Luka (Serb
entity) where the Ferhadija mosque had once stood, had ceased
temporarily.
On the request of Carl Bildt, IFOR troops arrived at the place
where Serb authorities had begun to excavate the field with
bulldozers.
The Serbs' official explanation given to IFOR troops was that
they wanted to tear down an old, previously damaged building, and
to inspect an unmarked grave which is allegedly on the same
location.
Boudreau said that no attempts had been made to tear down the
only remaining building of the Islamic community in Banja Luka
which was in very near proximity. #L#
Head of the UN mission in Bosnia Iqubal Rizah on Friday
harshly condemned the act of the Serb authorities in Banja Luka,
describing it as wanton destruction and desecration.
Rizah recalled that Serb authorities were responsible for the
destruction of the mosque in 1993, and stressed that such actions
on the eve of the first session of the newly elected Republika
Srpska assembly, presented a purposeful provocation of the
international public.
Representatives in the Parliament of the Serb entity should
convene on Saturday, and among them should be representatives from
the Social Democratic Action party (SDA), as well as from other
opposition parties under the name "Joint List".
Boudreau said that special security measures had neither been
requested nor ensured, but that IFOR troops would increase their
presence in Banja Luka, including a much greater number of patrols.
(hina) lm
181511 MET oct 96