Fears of Refugee Incidents on
Most Sacred Muslim Holiday
SARAJEVO, April 26 (AP) — NATO officials bolstered troop strength Friday, anticipating further feuding this weekend between Muslims, Serbs and Croats trying to visit their former homes. Twice in the past week, American peacekeepers have had to break up clashes between Muslims trying to enter their former territory and Serbs now in control of it. While the peace agreement brokered in Dayton has helped silence the guns and encouraged troops to return to their barracks, it has failed to guarantee freedom of movement, a key provision of the accord.
Both during the war and after the signing of the peace agreement, which divided Bosnia between the Serbs and a Muslim-Croat federation, families fled to avoid persecution or death from enemies who took over their areas.
In Sarajevo, Maj. Simon Haselock, a NATO spokesman, said Friday that Muslims celebrating Bajram — a Muslim holiday at the end of the pilgrimage season — might try to cross into their former territory this weekend. He said the peace force was preparing a “heavy commitment of troops and resources to keep us aware and monitor the growing number of mass marches, demonstrations and cemetery visits” being planned.
NATO officials in Bosnia declined to give details of the troop movements. “It’s our policy not to talk about operational matters,” said spokesman Maj. Peter Bullock. “What I can say is that we have taken certain measures so we’ll be in the right place if needed.”
The officials have suggested at least some of the recent incidents have been staged more with the intent of provocation than a genuine desire to visit former homes. “The frustration felt by the displaced persons has now led to a series of spontaneous attempts of mass visits with potentially dangerous situations,” Mans Nyberg, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Sarajevo. The High Commissioner’s office is asking all parties to sign a statement backing such home visits by refugees, he said.
Carl Bildt, the top civilian in the Bosnian peace process, said indicted war criminals such as Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his top general Ratko Mladic were to blame for the hatreds that continue preventing freedom of movement.
On Thursday, American peacekeepers separated about 300 Muslims armed with sticks and bottles and 100 Serbs carrying sticks and chains. The Bosnian Muslims were trying to return to Caparde, about 20 miles southeast of Tuzla, which is now in Serb possession. Only one person was injured.
Also Thursday, a bus carrying about 50 Bosnian Croats was stoned by Bosnian Serbs near Gradacac, about 35 miles northwest of Tuzla. The Croats were trying to return to their nearby home village of Tramosnica, now Serb-run. The bus was badly damaged, despite a NATO escort, and a woman was hurt by a hurled stone.
The Holy Quran Information
American Muslim Council
Association of Muslim Researchers
Islam and Muslim
USC Muslim Students Association Islamic Server
Berserkistan is a world news service of Michael Linder Productions, Inc.
©1995-1996, All Rights Reserved
