11 December 97, 19:30
BiH President Izetbegovic went from Bonn to Teheran in order to attend the summit of the Islamic Conference Organisation. Izetbegovic also held series of conversations with Islamic countries leaders. His main subject was the East, the West and Bosnia and Herzegovina in between. Izetbegovic was talking about the civilised, educated, strong and organised West, about the necessity of competition with the West only in good things, about the misconception that terrorism leads to progress and advantage. Izetbegovic appealed on the summit members to co-operate with the Western countries which are supporting the integrity of BiH. At the end of his address to the members of the conference, Izetbegovic said that the least happy part of the Bosniak people are those who live as a minority in a Yugoslav region Sandzak, and appealed to the members to give the Bosniak-Moslems of Sandzak the status of a Moslem minority in the Islamic Conference Organisation.
5:30
Comments of the BiH officials on the Bonn conference – BiH FA Minister, Prlic said that the Bonn conference confirmed the readiness of the IC to remain in BiH, and to help not only to overcome the crisis, but also to establish a new state structure and economic development. CoM Vice-chairman, Tomic said that his expectations were not fulfilled, and that the final document of the conference does not give the answer to the question, what will be the mechanisms that will speed up the DPA implementation? Federation Co-president Ganic said that the HR’s new mandate is expected to eliminate the vacuum in the functioning of the BiH joint institutions. Mr Westendorp has the authority, and he can receive more if necessary. The first deadline is December 15, for when the BiH Parliament must adopt the laws on passports and citizenship.
2:30
OHR announcement on the Bonn conference was given by spokeswoman Byrne, who said that the existing mandate of the High Representative was strengthened in order to enable arbitration. As said by Byrne, the strengthened HR mandate will be especially applied in the areas of promoting the independent media, co-operation with the ICTY, the return of refugees, police reconstruction, human rights, and economic recovery.
1:00
OSCE Ambassador Frowick stated in Vienna that arrest of Karadzic has been delayed too long, and that this is the final moment to get the job done. As said by Frowick, the best option would be if Karadzic would surrender himself, but this does not negate the obligation of the IC to take the matter into its own hands.
0:30
UN Special Envoy, Eide in Bonn, insisted on the matter of Agency for Information and Documentation (AID) agency. Eide called the AID a ‘Bosniak secret police’ service, which does not submit to any state institution, but is an instrument of a single political party (read SDA). UN spokesman Ivanko said that IPTF considers that AID is not part of the Federal institutions, because it sends its reports via political and not Federal channels. IPTF has nothing against BiH, or the Federation, having its own secret service, but, as said by Ivanko, a service that would be agreed on by Bosniaks and Croats. Ivanko added that Croat officials have reason to complain of the work of AID, because this institution answers to only one party – the SDA. Ivanko said that international officials are trying to sort this matter out, through meetings with the Federal partners, including a meeting of Izetbegovic with presidency member Zubak. Ivanko refuted journalists’ suggestions that AID is a threat to peace in the Federation, but added that this agency is a key obstacle to the establishment of the new MUP.
2:30
The Federal Government held a session in Mostar. Among other matters, the Parliament adopted the draft Law on Changes of the Law on Accounting System, the draft Law on Changes of the Law on Revision, and the draft Law on Humanitarian Organisations.
2:30
Herzegovina/Neretva Canton President, Leto addressed a letter to the Federal Prime-minister Bicakcic and the OHR in Sarajevo, in which he expresses his amazement at the information in the media, about illegal privatisation in the Canton by the Croatian enterprises. Leto said that if the information is accurate, it would represent an act of economical aggression against the Her/Ner Canton. Leto demanded an urgent action from the Federation Government regarding this matter.
1:00
Another peaceful protest of the Srebrenica women was held today. Federal Minister for Refugees, Kadic asked the Government to support the release of three Srebrenicans, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in the RS. The main message from the meeting was: we will never stop searching for our 10.000 husbands, fathers and sons. The mothers from Srebrenica addressed yet another demand to the Frowick, Westendorp, and Kauzlarich for the release of the three Srebrenica prisoners from Bijeljina prison.
1:30
1101 bodies of killed Srebrenicians were exhumed so far from 15 localities in the RS, with the assistance of ICTY experts. Exhumation of the mass grave Jelovo Brdo was planned for next week. Owing to the actions of Ambassador Klein, the search for the mass graves is much easier, and in regard to this, locations for new cemeteries should be found, because only one tenth of victims have been exhumed so far.
1:30