The Missing in Ilidza

Just days after the checkpoints disappeared around Sarajevo and both armies withdrew from the front lines an incident happened. Some citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina took the progress in the implementation of the Dayton accord seriously and went to Sarajevo and on to Ilidza which, up to March, is under the control of the Bosnian Serb Republic. Just after the new year, the Sarajevo authorities protested to the IFOR command over the abduction of 17 civilians who were last seen heading for Ilidza.

It started with two truck drivers who disappeared on December 25; then another truck disappeared which was moving someone into Sarajevo and then the others got lost. The problem caused tension while UNPROFOR was handing over to IFOR: IFOR declared its jurisdiction and the chief of the UN civilian police (CIVPOL) colonel Ribnikov confirmed that 16 people were missing and demanded their release from the Bosnian Serb authorities. The Serbs said that no one had been abducted and that the detained included military personnel and vehicles.

The detained are seemingly the victims of early optimism, their own, the UN's and IFOR's. The Bosnian government and independent observers assessed that French troops decided too soon to give up escorting cars with Bosnian plates.

US Defence Secretary William Perry faced protests on Wednesday as soon as he landed in Sarajevo and IFOR commander Admiral Leighton Smith told him his mandate does not include fighting crime. The Sarajevo government says it does not want to exchange prisoners for civilians detained after the Dayton agreement took effect because that would encourage abductions. Traffic across Ilidza dropped sharply

The Kosovo Issue

Kosovo ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova voiced the conviction that the Kosovo issue and the Albanian question as a whole will be resolved this year, Beta news agency reported. "I hope the Kosovo issue, and we're working at it, will be resolved on the basis of the political will of the people of Kosovo," Rugova said in a new year message on Albanian state TV. Rugova wished ethnic Albanians a new year in "a free, independent and democratic Kosovo". He said last year was very significant "despite the violence and occupation in Kosovo" because of the "affirmation of the Kosovo issue and recognition of Kosovo in international institutions".

Albanian President Sali Berisha also voiced convictions that this year will se significant progress in establishing a dialogue between Kosovo's ethnic Albanians and the Serbian authorities with the mediation of a third party.

Montenegro Gets Customs Ministry

The rumors of the dismissal of Mihalj Kertes, federal customs chief, will be confirmed soon. VREME was told by sources close to the Montenegrin authorities that Montenegro will now get the federal customs and finance ministers as part of the announced reconstruction of the federal administration.

Kertes, the rumor says, will be replaced by Bosko Bojovic, former Montenegro state security chief who was relieved of duties after a scandal and transferred to work with Serbian state security chief Jovica Stanisic.

VREME's source in the Montenegrin authorities said that personnel change is highly unlikely.

Granic Is Coming

Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic is due in Belgrade in the first half of January, Granic told Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija.

His interview with Croatian political weekly Obzor just prior to his departure on a ski trip indicates the topics for discussions during the visit.

"Croatia will respect the Dayton agreement and wants a normalization of relations with Belgrade which means the signing of the initialed agreement. We expect mutual recognition, solutions to all other open questions such as the opening of communications, the refugee problem, missing persons etc."

Granic's visit coincides with the start of the UN administration mandate in Western Slavonia. Obzor said Granic expects the region to be demilitarized within a week of the arrival of international forces and added that the overall solution depends on the "stand Serbia will take in the process, i.e. to what measure it will support it."

"We are not prepared to discuss Prevlaka," the minister said while Obzor concluded that "as far as Croatia is concerned the Prevlaka story is finally over."

Jasenovac

"Today the Jasenovac memorial center is just a big dump. As if it weren't a shrine for the dead," Split weekly Feral Tribune said in its latest edition. A Feral reporter found burnt tree, destroyed buildings, pictures of inmates at the World War II death camp strewn about and freshly painted giant Us (for Ustashi) on the remaining walls.