Position of refugees in Bosnia is clearly not acceptable, Spring says

MR Spring, at yesterday's top level Paris conference called by France to define international policy on Bosnia over the next two years, admitted that "ironically, everyone's mind is on Zaire".

On Bosnia, the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, said: "The main emphasis (at the conference) was very much on respect for human and minority rights and full co operation with the criminal tribunal and the return of refugees and displaced persons."

Mr Spring said: "There has been a recurrent pattern of houses being burned in Mostar in recent weeks. There are still two million refugees. Mrs (Sadako) Ogata (the UN High Commissioner for Refugees) said this morning that they may not be relocated until next summer. You have to be able to guarantee their safety. Some can see their houses but can't go back. This is clearly unacceptable."

In the most serious incident since the signing of the Dayton peace accords last year, a Bosnian Muslim was killed and two others were wounded at Gajevi, north east Bosnia, on Tuesday.

The Muslims had tried to return to their home village, from which they were expelled in 1992, and were attacked by uniformed Serb policemen and soldiers.

Asked what means of pressure Europe can exert on those who fail to respect the Dayton accords, Mr Spring made a veiled threat: "It is vital to Bosnia to have good relations with the EU. If they want to have full relations with the European family, there are rules by which we conduct our business."

The nine point statement of guiding principles issued at the end of the conference says that "there is a link between the availability of international financial assistance and the degree to which all the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina fully implement the peace agreement."

The Dayton accords foresaw a joint Muslim, Serb and Croat government, parliament, central bank, constitutional court and military committee. None of these have been established in the year since the agreement was sighed.

"Institution building, confidence building, will take a long time," Mr Spring said. "We are travelling the road and I think we are on the right path."

The failure of the collegial Bosnian presidency (Mr Alija Izetbegovic, a Muslim Mr Momcilo Krajisnik, a Serb, and Mr Kresimir Zubak, a Croat) to agree on the formation of a government was the greatest disappointment of yesterday's Paris conference.

The Muslims would like the Council of Ministers to function as a real government the Serbs and Croats want it to act as an advisory committee.

Mr Izetbegovic told The Irish Times he was pleased with the Paris conference, but unhappy about the discord over forming a government. "According to the Dayton agreement, it must be a real government - not an advisory board," he said.

Asked whether the three presidents were close to agreeing, he said "it has to be overcome before London".

A follow up conference on Bosnia Herzegovina will be held in London on December 4th-5th.