 |
Bildt: Karadzic and Mladic Know They are Hunted Men
In Sofia, the international community's High
By Gareth Jones
"I think we sometimes fool ourselves. To a certain extent we are building (Karadzic and Mladic) up by saying they are the masters while in fact they feel themselves to be hunted men subject to constant pressure," Bildt said. "I know that is the impression they themselves have of the situation," he told Reuterss in an interview.
Speaking on the margin of a two-day meeting of Balkan foreign ministers in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Bildt reiterated that NATO troops implementing the peace accord would not actively seek out the two men, who are wanted for trial by a U.N. tribunal in the Hague. Bildt, a former Swedish Prime Minister, said the planned elections for Bosnia must go ahead in order to overcome the partition of the country into ethnic ghettoes.
"(Postponement or cancellation) would be not only regrettable but near catastrophic because that would mean we cannot set up common institutions for the country and would make partition almost unavoidable," he said.
Bildt appeared fairly relaxed about the possible danger, expressed by many commentators, that elections will simply reinforce Bosnia's break-up along ethnic lines and about the current strength of hardliners in the different camps. "This close to the war people seek more security by supporting more nationalist politics. That ought not necessarily to be interpreted as their wanting to pursue nationalist policies in the long-term," he said. "At this time it may be a safeguard option," Bildt said.
The Sofia conference of foreign ministers, which ended on Sunday, did not discuss the Bosnian situation in detail but in its final declaration expressed support for the Dayton peace agreement and for Bosnia's full reintegration into the region. Ministers of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey and rump Yugoslavia attended the meeting. Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Hungary sent observers. The Contact Group countries for ex-Yugoslavia -- the United States, Russia, Germany, Britain and France -- were also represented.
Russia's deputy foreign minister Nikolai Afanasievsky sounded a cautious note on the issue of bringing Karadzic and Mladic to trial in the Hague. "We believe that war criminals must be punished if their guilt is proven. However the tribunal must not be a political organ serving one-sided political interests," he told reporters. "Unfortunately there is a lack of objectivity and impartiality," he added.
Russia is traditionally sympathetic to the Serbs in former Yugoslavia, who share its Christian Orthodox religion. Moscow has often accused Western countries of unfair bias in their handling of the Bosnian crisis. "The most important thing for Bosnia now is to hold the elections in a normal atmosphere. "This would be the condition for a real and irreversible peace process and democratic development in Bosnia," he added.
|
SOFIA, July 7 (Reuters) - International mediator Carl Bildt cautioned on Sunday against exaggerating the power of Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadzic and his army commander General Ratko Mladic, both indicted for war crimes. Bildt, the international community's High Representative for Bosnia, also said any decision to postpone or cancel a planned election in the war-ravaged republic on September 14 would be "near catastrophic."
Berserkistan, July 5 · Karadzic’s Lawyers Say He Wants a Fair Trial
Berserkistan, July 4 · Karadzic Says He Won’t Seek Office
Berserkistan, July 3 · West Eyes Karadzic’s Moves while Weighing Sanctions
Berserkistan, July 2 · Karadzic Practices Psychiatry in Politics
Berserkistan, July 1 · Feeling Tricked and Embarrassed, Bildt Ponders Next Move
Berserkistan Manhunt! How Much Can NATO Do to Capture Mladic, Karadzic?
Berserkistan is the world news service of
Pacific Interactive Media Corp.
EMail Berserkistan
©1995-1996, All Rights Reserved