BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: DISPUTE OVER POLICE UNIFORM COLOUR SHOWS GROWING TENSIONS BETWEEN BOSNIAN MOSLEMS AND BOSNIAN CROATS

Record ID: 588463

  • Title: BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: DISPUTE OVER POLICE UNIFORM COLOUR SHOWS GROWING TENSIONS BETWEEN BOSNIAN MOSLEMS AND BOSNIAN CROATS
  • Date: 13th March 1996
  • Summary: ILIDZA, SARAJEVO, BOSNIA (MARCH 13-14, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) (MARCH 13, 1996) 1. SV CROAT POLICE ARRIVING WITH IFOR ESCORT. 0.10 2. SCU POLICE (4 SHOTS) 0.30 3. SV FEDERATION POLICE PATROLLING. (2 SHOTS) 0.36 4. SV CROAT POLICE WALKING INTO POLICE STATION/ CROAT POLICE WALKING OUT OF POLICE STATION. (5 SHOTS) 1.36 5. SV BOSNIAN CROAT POLICE CHIEF MLADEN TOLO SAYING THE INCIDENT MEANS THE END OF THE (MOSLEM-CROAT) FEDERATION (SERBO-CROAT) 1.40 6. SCU INTERNATIONAL POLICE COMMISIONER PETER FITZGERALD SPEAKING ABOUT THE DISPUTE OVER UNIFORM COLOUR (ENGLISH) 2.15 (MARCH 14, 1996) 7. SV BOSNIAN VICE PRESIDENT EJUP GANIC SAYING THE FEDERATION SHOULD HAVE ONE UNIFORM (ENGLISH) 3.03 SEQUENCE 6 TRANSCRIPT: FITZGERALD: "THE CROATIAN POLICE ARE NOT ACCEPTING THAT THEY MUST WORK IN A BLUE UNIFORM. IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THEY COULD WORK IN THEIR OWN UNIFORMS. THE FEDERATION POLICE HAVE NOW SAID THAT THEY CANNOT DO SO, SO THEY ARE NOW RETURNING. I'LL BE REPORTING TO THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL WHEN I GO BACK TO OFFICE AND I'LL BE ALSO REPORTING TO MR CARL BILDT. I THINK IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THAT THE AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN REACHED HAVE NOW BEEN BROKEN. YES IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM." SEQUENCE 7 TRANSCRIPT: GANIC: "I WOULDN'T CALL IT A POLITICAL CRISIS. WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS HAVE ONE KIND OF POLICE, ONE KIND OF UNIFORM, SO WE HAVE IN ILIDZA MORE THAN THE ETHNIC PERCENTAGE SUGGESTS. THERE IS AN IDEA TO HAVE CROATS IN ANOTHER TYPE OF UNIFORM BUT THAT'S MIXED, IT MAKES CONFUSION AMONGST THE CIVILIANS SO THAT IS NOT THE BEST AVENUE. " Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 28th March 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ILIDZA, SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
  • Reuters ID: LVA4UDP16X6Y98NTLKH0W4L7372O
  • Story Text: INTRO: A dispute over uniform colour reflects growing tension between Bosnian Moslems and Bosnian Croats.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------- Nine Croat policemen trying to join a Moslem-Croat federation police patrol in the Sarajevo suburb of Ilidza were rebuffed by Moslems for a second day on Wednesday (March 13) in a disagreement over the colour of their uniforms.

    Though trivial at one level, the incident reflected growing tension between Bosnian Moslems and Croats across the country.

    "The (Moslem) federation police chief in Ilidza said the Croats could patrol in plain clothes or in green federation uniforms but that they could not wear their blue Croat uniforms," said United Nations (U.N.) police spokesman Alexander Ivanko.

    "The issue could not be resolved and the Croat police left.

    This is very unwelcome news," he told reporters.

    Croats object to green uniforms, which they associate with Islam. Blue uniforms remind Moslems of the Croats against whom they fought a bitter war in 1993 and early 1994.

    The suburb of Ilidza was handed over from Bosnia's Serb republic to the Moslem-Croat federation on Tuesday when federation police began patrolling the district.

    According to an agreement mediated by the U.N. police, the 90-strong federation force in Ilidza was meant to include 13 Croats, including nine from neighbouring Kiseljak who were supposed to be able to wear their blue uniforms.

    When the nine arrived in Ilidza on Tuesday Moslem federation police officials denied them the right to wear their traditional uniforms and told them their security could not be guaranteed if they did. The Croats returned to Kiseljak.

    The U.N. police commissioner intervened again on Wednesday and struck an agreement with federation interior ministry officials for the nine Croats, but the agreement was violated in practice for the second straight day.

    U.N. International Police Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald called the incident serious and said that the Bosnian Croats had been given permission to wear the blue uniforms in a meeting with Deputy High Representative Peter Steiner.

    Kiseljak's Bosnian Croat Police Chief Mladen Tolo said the incident meant the end of the Moslem-Croat Federation.

    On Thursday, Bosnian Vice-President Ejup Ganic said the federation polce should have one colour uniform.

    The arrival of Bosnian Croat police at Ilidza follows an incident in which Bosnian Croat police officers from Kiseljak took over Hadzici police station before it was due to be handed over to Bosnian Croat federation control.


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