C R I S I S W E B N E W S

Monday September 14, 1998

ICG BOSNIA

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ICG's recent report "Too Little, Too Late: Implementation of the Sarajevo Declaration" is now available on-line. The report chronicles the record of Sarajevo's authorities in encouraging and facilitating the returns of non-Bosniacs to the Bosnian capital, as well as international efforts to pressure them to live up to their commitments.

In February, the Sarajevo authorities agreed to the return of at least 20,000 minorities during 1998. Seven months later, only 1,300 have returned -- 7 percent of the target number. This is not due to lack of interest on the part of minorities: more than 7,000 households have submitted applications to return. The failures are for the most part due to stalling, incompetence, and general lack of will on the part of Sarajevo authorities, and officials of the ruling SDA.

Sarajevo authorities have claimed the problem is lack of adequate housing space to support returns. But the major reason is that many minority properties are occupied by Bosniacs who already have habitable homes, and have spread their families out into other people's homes, and the failure of the authorities to root out such abuses.

While Bosnian authorities have clearly falied to live up to their commitments, the international community also bears some responsibility for the miserable return figures, and the fact that none of the major initiatives set out in the declaration, including property legislation, housing allocation, minority representation in the police, equal opportunity in employment, and a non-discriminatory education curriculum have been completed.

The report concludes with a series of recommendations which, if heeded, could help restore multi-ethnicity in Sarajevo.