Epilogh OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 43, 1 March 1995 [**] Ta nea ths hmeras, apo to OMRI: [01] . "THE DIRTY JOB HAS STARTED AGAIN." [02] * "VENOMOUS ROW" BETWEEN UN AND NATO OVER TUZLA MYSTERY FLIGHTS. [Gia efodiasmo twn Moysoymanwn se synergasia me thn Toyrkia kathgorei o OHE tis HPA.] [03] . IS CROATIA HUNTING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE TO UNPROFOR? [04] * ETHNIC ALBANIAN DEPUTIES BOYCOTT MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT. [05] . GRAVES DESECRATED IN NORTHERN SERBIA. [06] . BULGARIAN OPPOSITION CHANGES STATUTES. [07] ** JOINT MILITARY MANEUVERS IN GREECE. [08] * GERMAN PRESIDENT IN ALBANIA. [Kai gia ta endokybernhtika problhmata ths Albanias.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OMRI DAILY DIGEST No. 43, Part II, 1 March 1995 SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE [01] "THE DIRTY JOB HAS STARTED AGAIN." This is how leading UN refugee official Sylvana Foa described the latest wave of Serbian "ethnic cleansing" in the Banja Luka area, where the Muslim population has dropped from 500,000 three years ago to 37,000. She said that "it looks like the mopping up of what is left, mainly old people," AFP reported on 28 February. Vecernji list on 1 March carries a similar report on the fate of the local Croats. Meanwhile, in the Bihac pocket, news agencies reported that fighting increased on 28 February and that unknown gunners subjected nine empty relief trucks to heavy shelling, forcing the crew to take shelter in armored vehicles nearby. Bosnia and Herzegovina marks its third anniversary of independence on 1 March with political, cultural, and sporting events in Sarajevo. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc. [02] "VENOMOUS ROW" BETWEEN UN AND NATO OVER TUZLA MYSTERY FLIGHTS. The New York Times on 1 March reported on the deepening feud between the world organization and the Atlantic alliance over at least two flights by unidentified aircraft near Tuzla in mid-February. NATO says they were its own normal patrols or "commercial aircraft on approved airways in Serbian airspace." The UN replies that "the idea that trained officers could mistake a low-flying transporter over Tuzla for a commercial aircraft flying at 35,000 feet in Serbian airspace is frankly ludicrous and insulting." The UN has hinted that the U.S., possibly together with Turkey, is secretly dropping arms to the Muslims, a charge NATO firmly denies. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc. [03] IS CROATIA HUNTING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE TO UNPROFOR? Nasa Borba reports on repeated hints by Croatia that it is willing to accept some form of international presence on its borders once UNPROFOR's mandate runs out on 31 March. Other accounts suggest that Zagreb is desperate to bring in NATO or WEU patrols as the only means to avoid another war. The problem is that to patrol Croatia's borders, the forces would have to position themselves between Krajina and both Bosnian Serb territory and Serbia proper, which the Serbs generally reject. NATO has also publicly rejected Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's calls for it to form a new international force in Croatia. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc. [04] ETHNIC ALBANIAN DEPUTIES BOYCOTT MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT. The ethnic Albanian legislators in the Macedonian parliament have boycotted the parliament's latest session, Flaka reported on 1 March. The legislators, who have four minister posts in the coalition government, are demanding serious negotiations on higher education in Albanian and a solution to the conflict over the self-proclaimed Albanian-language university in Tetovo. They took the decision to boycott the 1 March session following the police crackdown on their university on 17 February. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc. [05] GRAVES DESECRATED IN NORTHERN SERBIA. Tanjug, citing local police sources, reported on 28 February that 63 Roman Catholic graves have been desecrated in the town of Novi Sad, in the Serbian province of Vojvodina. According to police sources, the incidents seemed to be random acts of vandalism, possibly with no connection to ethnically or religiously motivated groups. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc. [06] BULGARIAN OPPOSITION CHANGES STATUTES. The National Coordinating Council of the Union of Democratic Forces on 28 February approved changes in the coalition's statutes, Demokratsiya reported the following day. The National Conference is to be the UDF's highest body. It will be called at least once a year and attended by representatives of the UDF's local and regional councils and member organizations. The conference will elect the chairman of the UDF and his deputies for two years. Until now, they were elected for one year by the National Coordinating Council, in which each of the 15 member organizations has one seat. A newly established National Executive Council--to include the UDF chairman, his deputies, the chief secretary, and the chairman of the parliament faction--will be in charge of day-to-day affairs. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc. [07] JOINT MILITARY MANEUVERS IN GREECE. Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and the U.S. will hold joint military maneuvers in Greece in May within the framework of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, AFP reported on 28 February. The Greek army announced that Germany will attend as an observer and that Albania has been invited to participate in the same capacity. No answer has been received from Tirana yet. The Greek and Bulgarian chiefs of staff, Adm. Christos Lyberis and Gen. Tsvetan Totomirov, have also agreed on the details of joint naval exercises in the Black Sea. Totomirov is on a three-day visit to Greece and is to meet with Greek Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. Arsenis visited Sofia last week where he signed a bilateral defense accord with his Bulgarian counterpart, Dimitar Pavlov. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc. [08] GERMAN PRESIDENT IN ALBANIA. German President Roman Herzog and Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi have signed a joint declaration pledging to expand cooperation and deepen mutual ties, Rilindja Demokratike reported on 1 March. Herzog, on a two-day visit to Albania, expressed support for the re-establishment of Kosovo's autonomy and called on Albania to prevent the Yugoslav conflict from spreading. He also discussed Albania's further participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program, minority questions, and the situation in Macedonia. Albanian Democratic Party leader Eduard Selami did not attend a reception at the German embassy in Herzog's honor, as expected, but instead went to a party meeting in Fier to discuss his own position within the party, Populli PO reported the same day. Selami had offered his resignation before the meeting because of continuing disputes with DP government members. An extraordinary party meeting on 5 March will decide on Selami's fate. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc. [As of 12:00 CET] Compiled by Jan Cleave