THE FEDERATION BETWEEN ZAGREB AND SARAJEVO

Do the Americans have the Key for Bosnia?

AIM Sarajevo, May 24, 1996

Ricardo Peres Casado, European Union administrator in Mostar, reached the final decision on scheduling local elections in this city after consultations with leaders of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia, Alija Izetbegovic and Dr Franjo Tudjman.

Although for a long time the elections in Mostar have been indicated as the first true test for the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina, since their results could condition the final appearance of the state of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Mr Casado has never paid much attention to the opinion of its officials. On the contrary, he realized that all key decisions concerning the Federation were reached without the consent of its official insitutions, in Sarajevo and in Zagreb as national centres where Bosniac and Croat policy was actually outlined. The Spanish diplomat has accepted as reality what his predecessor Hans Koschnik simply never could and because of which he was finally forced to leave. It is quite clear to Ricardo Peres Casado that he can do nothing in Mostar which is against the will of either Alija Izetbegovic or Franjo Tudjman, especially not to organize and carry out elections.

Political quibbling concerning the elections in Mostar between European administration, Sarajevo and Zagreb are a specific illustration of the relation of forces which dictate the situation in the whole Federation. After all, the latest Washington session on the Federation took place under close monitoring of the Republic B&H, Croatia and United States of America.

Although more than two years ago when foundations of the Federation were laid and when peace solution for the war between the Croats and the Bosniacs was sought, patronage of the state of Croatia, republican authorities of B&H and the international community was both necessary and logical, but in time it has become a burden. These initial tutors have never allowed the creation they had made to become independent and turned it into a testing ground where they tried to effectuate what they had accomplished by firearms.

In Bosnia & Herzegovina, the greatest relief that the Federation had brought to the citizens was that the killing has stopped. Everything else is exactly as it used to be at the time of the conflicts between the Army of B&H and the Croat Defence Council (HVO). It is still with great anxiety that one travels through the territory controlled by the opposing party, and quite often the insignia of the (Croat) chess board or the Bosniac (lilies) on licence plates of a vehicle are sufficient reason for passengers to be literally beaten up.

In the past few days, about ten citizens of Bosniac nationality complained to Sarajevo police that they had been ill-treated while passing through the neighbouring Kiseljak, a small town controlled by the Croats. There was a Croat among them, who lives in Zenica, and his only sin was that he had lilies on the licence plates of his car.

Sarajevo Vecernje novine recently published a story of two of its journalists about their journey across border crossings between B&H and Croatia. All these crossings are controlled by the Croat police from B&H and the journalists passed without problems thanks to the sign of the chess board on their car. However, they witnessed the procedure drivers of cars adorned with lilies were subjected to.

Not even politicians, federal officials inclusive, travel with greater ease around B&H. Vice-President of the Federation, Ejup Ganic, felt on his own skin how difficult it was to enter Stolac. Two years ago, local Croat police simply sent him off back to Sarajevo. Recently, he had difficulties in his new attempt to visit this town, although his meeting had been arranged with the President of the Federation Kresimir Zubak and the Croatian minister of defence Gojko Susak. Nevertheless, he was detained at the entrance to the town for almost a whole day, and the explanation was that he had too many escorts, some of whom were banished citizens of Stolac. Granic was finally allowed to enter Stolac, but Zubak and Susak were not there any longer.

Vice-President of the Federation did not have a much better time on his way through Pocitelj either, where the local Croats adorned the view for him by skinning slaughtered pigs along the road and by playing the newly-composed march which goes "Here comes dawn, here comes day, here come Jure and Boban" (leaders of "Herzeg Bosna").

On the ocassion of opening of the railway bridge in Mostar, a true diplomatic scandal was created because the Croats insisted that the flag with the chess board be hoisted in the persence of the German Federal Minister. Such belittling of their own minister enraged the German head of diplomacy, Klaus Kinkel, so much that he protested with the ambassador of Croatia in Bonn. It was obviously clear to Kinkel where the wind which blew into the Croat flag was coming from.

However, this does not end the list of complaints of the Bosniacs against their federal partner. Vice-President of the SDA, Edhem Bicakcic, reproaches them for not allowing any political, cultural or religious organizing of Bosniacs in Prozor, Kiseljak, Busovaca and Western Mostar. He admits that there are certain examples on the opposite side, such as Tomislavgrad, Livno and Orasje, but he assesses that it is impermissible that, for example, head of Jajce municipality, who is a Bosniac, was not permitted to live and work in this city.

The Croats, of course, also have complaints against the behavior of the Bosniacs. In the first place, in Bugojno, where they are not allowed to return, and Vares is mentioned with similar connotations. Then, as the Croat leaders claim, there is also Travnik, where the Croat population is pressured to emigrate, and in Sarajevo, the stand of the HDZ has been completely ignored, i.e. its opposition to formation of a canton.

When one tried to find an explanation for each individual case, the ruling politicians do their best to minimize it. The usual explanation is that journalists tend to see only the negative side of things and that each one of them is just an isolated incident provoked by a small group of extremists. As a rule, of course, they are not powerful enough to oppose these extremists and say that, after all, there was a war between the two nations and that its results cannot be overcome overnight.

However, statements are rare, and nothing to say about actual moves, in which there is an attempt to oppose these negative passions which have remained after the war between the Bosniacs and the Croats. On the contrary, passions are stimulated in an indicative way, and this just certifies the thesis about political strategy which is aimed at closing down nations within ethnic ghettoes in the Federation.

This strategy conceals the reasons for such reluctance to creation of a federal army which would be formed by uniting forces of the Army of B&H and of the HVO. After the USA exerted pressure, an agreement was reached to do this after all, but in three years, which is a sufficiently long time which enables both parties not to do anything at all. Creation of a federal police is also persistently ignored, as well its taking possession of the borders of B&H. Instead, policemen with insignia of "Herzeg Bosna" are still over there.

In Sarajevo, among the Bosniac leaders, increased interest of the USA for the Federation was received with great satisfaction. It is assessed that diplomacy of this superpower is powerful enough to force the Croats, and primarily Zagreb, to begin with specific jobs on creation of the Federation. Due to increased interest of the USA, certain solutions were accepted by Washington which were interpreted as necessary compromises.

It is forgotten that stories launched by the Americans in Washington and their behavior in B&H are quite different two things. What is the actual range of American diplomacy is evident from the latest verdicts of the arbiter for the Federation, Robert Owen, who has just been appointed by Washington to this post - although his decisions were supposed to be obligatory, none of them have been implemented yet.

Therefore, if a true wish to make any major progress in the Federation really exists, international diplomacy should primarily force Zagreb and republican authorities in Sarajevo to transfer power to the federal institutions. The indispensable condition is that people who sit in these institutions stop turning their heads towards the East and the West.

SEJAD LUCKIN