Bosnian Serbs Snub 55-Nation Aid Meeting
By Jeremy Lovell
BRUSSELS, April 12 (Reuters) — Aid donors from 55 countries met in Brussels on Friday, intent on raising $1.2 billion to help rebuild war-ravaged Bosnia despite being snubbed by Bosnian Serbs who boycotted the conference.The senior officials will review the progress in the past four months since pledging $600 million in emergency aid for Bosnia, assess the most immediate and the longer term needs and discuss civilian aid coordination. They must also decide how to spread the burden in paying the $1.8 billion support for this year set jointly by conference co-hosts the World Bank and the European Commission. The officials will then pass on the results of their work to their ministers who meet on Saturday to endorse the agreement. Bosnian Serbs, their relations with Western powers strained over implementation of the U.S.-brokered Daytona agreement for Bosnia, were invited to the conference but declined to attend.
The Commission and the World Bank have estimated that a total of $5.1 billion will be needed to reconstruct Bosnia in the next four years. Of this, $3.7 billion would go to the Muslim-Croat Federation and $1.4 billion to the other element in the Bosnian state, the Serb Republika Srpska.
Per Capital Income Now $500
Average annual per capita income has sunk to a mere $500, millions of people are homeless and displaced and 80 percent of the population relies to varying degrees on food aid that costs international donors $20 million a month.Power Struggle in Republika Srpska
A Commission spokesman said on Thursday the refusal of the Bosnian Serbs to take part in the Bosnia-Herzegovina delegation to the conference would make no difference to planned projects. "We are still working on the assumption that the reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina covers the whole territory including the Serbs," the spokesman said. "There is a power struggle going on in Republika Srpska," one EU diplomat said.Carl Bildt, charged with coordinating the civilian side of the Bosnian peace, said in a letter to Bosnian Serb republic Prime Minister Rajko Kasagic, regarded as a moderate, he hoped power games would not hurt civilians. "I can only express my sympathy with the plight of your citizens, who will now risk becoming the victims of the political games being played," said the letter.
Jobs Needed for 250,000 Former Soldiers
The World Bank President James Wolfensohn will tell the meeting on Saturday when ministers take over from officials that finding jobs for the 250,000 demobilized soldiers must be a priority. He has already identified numerous projects. They range from rebuilding utilities, roads and farms to war victim rehabilitation, education, health and landmine clearance.Bank spokesman Tim Cullen told a news conference in Brussels that one of the big problems he hoped the meeting would resolve was the serious shortfall in money pledged for clearing the millions of landmines scattered around the country.
Strategy for U.S. Aid to Bosnia
Bosnian Serbs to Boycott Aid Meeting April 11
Bosnian Donors Told to Dig Deep April 11
The World Bank
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