FM Alert, Vol. II, No. 4
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 98 12:42:42 -0500
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: FM Alert, Vol. II, No. 4
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Allison Mindel <[email protected]>
FM Alert, Vol. II, No. 4
FM Alert, Vol. II, No. 4
26 January 1997
CROATIA REGAINS CONTROL OVER EASTERN SLAVONIA
Croatia regained control over Serb-occupied Eastern Slavonia on January 15
under a U.S.-brokered agreement that ended the 1991-1995 war there. United
Nations transitional administrator, William Walker, formally handed over
authority to Croatian officials in a brief ceremony near Vukovar. Among the
attending dignitaries was U.S. special envoy Robert Gelbard. However,
notably absent was Croatia's President, Franjo Tudjman. Despite the end of
the UN mission (UNTAES) in the region, serious concerns remain, according to
the Forced Migration Projects (FMP) and other nongovernmental organizations.
A FMP letter to Ambassador Walker in December expressed concern over
Croatia's inability to implement reintegration programs. Under Croatian
authority, ethnic Croats who fled the "ethnic cleansing" of the region in
1991, believed to number over 80,000, are set to return to the war-ravaged
region. The return of displaced Croats could lead to the collateral
displacement of some of the estimated 100,000-strong ethnic Serbs
inhabitants of Eastern Slavonia, many of whom are themselves displaced
persons from strife-torn regions of Croatia. So-called "two-way returns",
where ethnic Croats return to Eastern Slavonia and the Serbs occupying their
houses return to their places of origin elsewhere in Croatia, are hampered
by Croatia's unwillingness to let ethnic Serbs return to other parts of the
country. An "Operational Headquarters for Two-Way Return" has been
established in Vukovar, the region's main city, to monitor and promote the
process. However, at the same time, the Croatian government has demanded
that all non-citizens residing in Eastern Slavonia vacate their current
shelters and move to the Gasinci refugee center within seven days. About 30,
000 people, though remaining in Croatia, have relocated their property to
Serbia. (For background consult FM Alert of December 19, 1997).
NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA TAKES OFFICE
William Montgomery recently succeeded Peter Galbraith as U.S. ambassador to
Croatia. Montgomery, a career diplomat, most recently served as ambassador
to Bulgaria and advisor to the president and secretary of state on Bosnian
peace implementation. Earlier assignments included posts in Belgrade and
Moscow. At his US Senate confirmation hearings, Montgomery said promoting
"business ties" with "strategically important" Croatia would be a diplomatic
priority. An immediate challenge facing the new envoy is helping to ensure a
smooth transition of power in Eastern Slavonia. The region, inhabited by a
large Serb majority, had been administered by a United Nations transitional
administration (UNTAES) until January 15, when Croatia regained control over
the territory. Eastern Slavonia had been occupied by Serb forces during the
1991-95 war of Yugoslav succession. The Forced Migration Projects have
questioned the appropriateness of the UNTAES' handover of power, saying
Croatian officials have yet to conclusively demonstrate that they are
committed to building a multi-ethnic society. Serb residents have been
leaving Eastern Slavonia in recent months, worried about possible
discrimination and retribution. (For background see FM Alerts of December
19 and October 10, 1997.)
NEW BOOK PUBLISHED ON NGO PRACTICES
The Forced Migration Projects (FMP) contributed a legal analysis of
nongovernmental organization (NGO) activities in the former Soviet Union to
a recently published book on NGO-government relations. "NGOs and Governments
: A Review of Current Practice for Southern and Eastern NGOs," published
jointly by the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and
Oxford's International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC). The FMP
contribution explores the complexities of the legal framework governing NGO
activities in the former Soviet Union, focusing on registration and tax
issues. One of the main spheres of the FMP advocacy in 1998 will be to
promote the reform of CIS governments' registration and taxation policies
for NGOs. Other book chapters include discussions of NGO development in
Croatia and an analysis of NGO and government relations in Central Asia.
------------------------------------------
For more information contact:
Forced Migration Projects
Open Society Institute
400 West 59th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10019
tel: (212) 548-0655
fax: (212) 548-4676
[email protected]
www.soros.org/migrate.html
--
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