The Return to Sarajevo

Will Petritsch Resolve the Agony of Dobrinja Residents?

AIM Sarajevo, November 20, 2000

"If within a reasonable time Edhem Bicakcic, premier of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Milorad Dodik, premier of Republika Srpska, do not respond to my letter and fail to adequately resolve the issue of the return of inhabitants of the settlements of Dobrinja I and IV, I will be forced to personally decide on that and enable those people finally to return to their homes", said Wolfgang Petritsch, the international community's high representative to Bosnia, in a recent warning addressed to the two entities' incumbent premiers.

Ambassador Petritsch labelled as "ridiculous" alleged problems in enabling the return of displaced people to these two Sarajevo suburbs, and stressed that statements made by representatives of the Serb Democratic Party that "a commission for demarcation is needed do not reflect the actual situation, because the matter does not involve the taking of a part of Republika Srpska's territory, but the return of people to their own homes."

The spokesman of the Office of High Representative in Bosnia, Oleg Milisic, says that Petritsch is considering possible measures and decisions if he does not receive a positive answer soon. "The high representative is waiting to see what the reply of the two premiers will be, and if there is no substantial progress, he will make the decision himself. In the forthcoming period Petritsch will look into how to resolve the question of Dobrinja I and Dobrinja IV in the most adequate manner and what decisions to make if need be," says Milisic.

Not even five years after the Dayton Agreement was signed were the inhabitants of Dobrinja I and Dobrinja IV allowed to return to their homes, which are now located in Serb Sarajevo. They say they do not care whether they live "in one Sarajevo or another," but they do care about who is responsible for them being prevented to return. In addition to the government of Sarajevo Canton, which has been active for years in resolving the issue of their return, there is also the municipality of Novi Grad. But the invisible Dayton demarcation line separating the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska stands as firm as the Berlin Wall, a fortification between one-time neighbors. This, however, is only when the return is in question. Otherwise, there is a number of those "from this side of Sarajevo" who every day visit "the other side of Sarajevo," most frequently to the market, which is much cheaper, or to buy gasoline at a price that is somewhat lower that in the Federation.

At the same time, of the 650 former inhabitants of Dobrinja only six have managed to return, and the return of another 60 has been approved. The case of Jasmina Karamehmedovic well illustrates the position of the exiled inhabitants of Dobrinja I and Dobrinja IV. She received a permit to return last March, but when she asked for the decision to be carried out, she received no response.

"The head of the Serb municipality openly told me he would not evict Serbs," says Jasmina Karamehmedovic.

Resolved to do whatever it takes to end the five-year agony, representatives of the Nas Dom (Our Home) Association of the Displaced People of Dobrinja I and Dobrinja IV recently filed a motion with the government of Sarajevo Canton to immediately condition the enforcement of property laws in this canton with reciprocal measures in Republika Srpska (Dobrinja I and Dobrinja IV). Abdulfetah Hadzic, president of the Association, says he is convinced that the plight of the Dobrinjians will finally end.

Ambassador Petritsch sent letters to the two premiers, Edhem Bicakcic and Milorad Dodik, several months ago asking them that entity commissions be formed to resolve the allegedly disputed issue of the return of refugees to the two settlements.

According to Serb Democratic Party representatives, however, with the return of these 600 displaced people Republika Srpska would be "deprived of 180 square kilometers of its territory." "This is complete nonsense, because we believe, and this was also confirmed by Ambassador Petritsch, that the owners of this territory are not the entities, but the people who used to live there," says Hadzic.

Instead of undertaking any measures, Federation Premier Edhem Bicakcic informed the Association that the return of displaced people to these two Sarajevo suburbs "is not in the jurisdiction of the entity, but of SFOR." RS Premier Milorad Dodik, on his part, did not even make any statements concerning the issue. This is why Nas Dom's only hope is pressure from international institutions and organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "We believe that Petritsch will decide that we should be allowed to return, rather than some commissions or the entities. When the entity and state authorities did not do anything for our return in the past five years, what can they possibly do in a much shorter period?" ask the displaced and add: "Nothing! We believe in Petritsch. He will end our suffering."

"We appealed to the local authorities and Serb Sarajevo Mayor Predrag Lasica, but to no avail. The problem is that the two parts of the city won't cooperate. Had it been otherwise, we would have returned to our homes long ago," they told AIM. They are also aware that not even once they return will their problems be resolved. How will they live? What about their health insurance, education, transportation... To this testifies the fact that because of an alleged dispute over a part of RS territory, the Osman Nuri Hadzic Elementary School (formerly, the Dusan Pajic Elementary School) has not yet re-opened, affecting children from both entities.

"We cannot order people not to return to Sarajevo, nor are we against their return, but we also want to go back to our homes. We believe that our five-year waiting was too much. We are ready to vacate other people's apartments, which we occupy out of necessity, but we cannot live on the streets either," the inhabitants of Dobrinja say.

"The authorities in the B-H Federation and Republika Srpska are cornered. This is why I believe this huge problem will finally be resolved," says the premier of Sarajevo Canton, Beriz Belkic. He is convinced that the entity authorities will ultimately declare themselves not competent to resolve this matter, and that the high representative for Bosnia will have the final say. Belkic adds that "it is high time that responsibility for this grave situation be determined and the culprits adequately punished. It is clear to all what the Dayton Agreement says about Dobrinja I and Dobrinja IV, and that, if what is signed is implemented, the problems will be eliminated. All the alleged claims that the territory of Republika Srpska would be violated if these people return are not true," claims Belkic and adds that he talked with Serb Sarajevo Mayor Predrag Lasica on several occasions about this, but that he "cannot help much in this matter." The failure to ensure the return of former Dobrinja residents was the reason for the recent dismissal of the head of the Serb Municipality of Ilidza, Obren Zeljaja, by the OHR. At the same time, there are many people from Dobrinja who returned to their apartments in the federal part of Sarajevo, but left certain members of their families in apartments in Dobrinja.

"Mayor Lasica does not reject the return of these people, but he has no power to enforce it, because this matter is in the jurisdiction of the ministry of Exiled and Displaced People of Republika Srpska, that is, its department in Serb Sarajevo. For Lasica, however, this territory belongs to Republika Srpska, and for me, to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, to end the suffering of these people, we decided to let them return, and later we will see to whom the territory belongs," says Belkic. He thereby questions what was long ago divided in Dayton and what was once again underlined at a recent conference organized on the fifth anniversary of the Dayton Accords whose conclusions specifically say that "the Dayton Peace Accords remain an unalterable and unavoidable framework for the further development of Bosnia and Herzegovina."

"We are not against the enforcement of property laws, but a situation wherein 25 percent of cases dealing with the return of former residents in Sarajevo Canton are resolved compared with only 0.1 percent in Republika Srpska is untenable. This clearly shows who is obstructing the process. It is immoral to prevent people for from returning to their apartments for five years," says Belkic.

Yet after the latest elections, it may be even harder to speak about morality, especially over new walls and fences.

Almir Terzic

(AIM)