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Yugoslavia says Hardliners Hurting Bosnia’s Serbs By Mark Heinrich
The Yugoslav Foreign Ministry condemned Karadzic's hardline allies for blocking arbitration on possession of the northern town of Brcko, but made it clear that Belgrade's impatience had been building up for years. The Bosnian Serb government in Pale told international mediators they were not happy with conditions for arbritration which they were determined should leave Brcko under their control.
The decision was in line with their constant tactic of inventing reasons for non-cooperation with the agreement signed on their behalf by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. The ministry expressed "its anger, great concern and regret over this inappropriate and extremely harmful action of the leadership in Pale."
It accused the hardliners of behaviour "genuinely hostile to the people and citizens of the Bosnian Serb republic" by repeatedly blocking peace plans going back to 1993. "This latest act by the leadership deserves the strongest possible condemnation," it added. Belgrade, fearful of renewed U.N. sanctions, has intensified criticism of the Pale leaders but has not taken practical steps to force them into line or to arrest Karadzic as the West wants.
The Brcko issue was referred to arbitration because it was too difficult to resolve at the peace talks held in the United States last November. The town is the narrowest part of a northern corridor linking Serb territories in east and west Bosnia. It was mainly populated by Muslims and Croats before Serb seized control of it at the start of the war in 1992.
Frowick said a "mutually acceptable" solution on Karadzic's removal needed to be worked out with the Serbs before the election campaign, now delayed until July 19, could star. Karadzic has kept the title of president although he has handed over executive power to his deputy Biljana Plavsic and remains at the head of the ruling Bosnian Serb Democratic Party (SDS). Frowick refused to say whether he would bar the SDS from the elections if Karadzic stayed but said any party that included indicted war criminals in its leadership should be ineligible.
Muhamed Sacirbey, Bosnia's U.N. n ambassador, said he would urge Bosnia's Muslim-led central government to "reconsider participating" in elections unless Karadzic were ousted. |
SARAJEVO, July 15 (Reuters) - Rump Yugoslavia issued a strong attack on Bosnian Serb separatist leaders on Monday, accusing them of obstructing the peace process and of sabotaging the interests of their people. U.S. diplomat Robert Frowick said campaigning would not start in inter-ethnic Bosnian elections due on September 14 until hardline Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, a war criminal, gave up all public office.
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