Review of returns to Srebrenica June 2005

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1 Sub-Office for Northern Bosnia and Herzegovina Tuzla SREBRENICA Any account of Srebrenica s past and future is inextricably linked to the 1995 war-time killing of some 7,800 Bosniak men and boys stranded in the UN designated safe haven. On April 19, 2004 in Prosecutor v. Krstic, the ICTY Appeals Chamber unanimously ruled that this constituted an act of genocide. Review of returns to Srebrenica June 2005 As pointed out in the Report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the Fall of Srebrenica 1 (1999), the tragedy of Srebrenica will haunt our history forever. More and more mass graves are discovered, 32 previously unknown were identified by the Report of the Srebrenica Commission published on 11June Of the 5,000 bodies found to date, 1,327 have been buried at the Potocari Memorial Centre which was officially opened by former U.S. President William Clinton on 20 September The establishment of the Potocari Memorial provided a critical incentive to the return and reconciliation process in Srebrenica. The fact, however, that the most prominent indicted war criminals are still at large and that many more suspected war criminals continue to lead a life in total impunity is important to consider when assessing the possibility to return in safety and dignity. As highlighted in 1 UN General Assembly, Report of the Secretary General pursuant the General Assembly Resolution 53/35, The Fall of Srebrenica, Doc No A/54/549 dated 15 November 1999 Srebrenica Municipality in Eastern Republika Srpska, BiH UNHCR s Update on Conditions for Return to Bosnia and Herzegovina (January 2005), certain categories of persons, including war crimes witnesses and severely traumatised individuals, have continued protection needs. Female headed households comprise a very significant percentage of those who returned to Srebrenica already or who have expressed an interest to return, which should be duly taken into account. Many of such families continue to live in displacement in Tuzla and Sarajevo Cantons and whether they wish to return or are unable to do so, they have specific vulnerabilities which require the continued attention of the domestic authorities, and the international community alike. For a detailed assessment of the needs of this group, see also UNHCR Survey on Displaced Persons in Tuzla Canton from the

2 2 Podrinje Area, Eastern Republika Srpska, June As illustrated by the sporadic appearance of hate graffiti, posters and signs which discourage returns and intimidate returnees, continuing monitoring, law enforcement and confidence-building measures are required. The active NATO/SFOR military presence at Forward Operating Base Connor in Bratunac until last year had contributed significantly to the returnees sense of security. The fact that today a multi-ethnic police force is operational in Srebrenica, including 16 minority policemen (one of whom is a supervisor), gives hope that the situation will further stabilise. employment in the municipality. Srebrenica has thus raised the highest rate of employment of minority returnees in the Eastern RS. Over the last two years, the Eastern RS has seen the largest returns of any area in BiH. Most returns occur from Tuzla, Sarajevo and Zenica-Doboj Cantons in the Federation of BiH. Minority returns (Bosniak) have taken place primarily to isolated hilly rural areas away from the town centre. The infrastructure in these areas remains is in ruins, and some areas face additional problems with unexploded ordinance and land mines. Bosniak Returns to Srebrenica YEAR RETURNS , View of Srebrenica from surrounding hills GENERAL RETURN SITUATION Returns to Srebrenica have been slow to begin with, and many families remain in displacement, primarily in collective centres and settlements in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH). Minority returns to Srebrenica and most areas in Eastern Republika Srpska (RS) started in earliest only in 2000, approximately three years after most other areas in BiH had experienced significant return movements. Today, the Mayor of Srebrenica, Abdurahman Malkic, is proactive in supporting return. There are 57 Bosniak minority returnees who have found During the last official national Census in 1991, the Srebrenica pre-war population stood at 36,666, with the following ethnic breakdown: 27,572 Bosniaks; 8,315 Serbs; 38 Croats; 380 Yugoslavs; and 361 others. Population estimates today assume that approximately 4,000 Bosniaks and 6,000 Serbs reside in the municipality. At the same time, preliminary results of the displaced persons (DP) registration show that 1,308 DPs (391 families) remain in Srebrenica today. The municipal return commission In December 2002, the Srebrenica Municipal Assembly established the Srebrenica Return Commission. It has five voting members who are municipal councillors and it is ethnically balanced and politically mixed. The Commission

3 3 also has two professional staff and maintains an Office in the municipality, accessible to the public on a daily basis. The Commission has three tasks: first, to register and collect data on families interested in returning or leaving the municipality; second, to assist with project beneficiary selection (making field assessments) with NGOs and donors; and third, to draft and forward project proposals. mediator between the local authorities and the population. AWO, a German NGO, recently opened a "House of Trust" in Srebrenica, which will provide a public kitchen, psychosocial support, legal aid and medical assistance. THE PROPERTY LAW IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The Property Law Implementation Plan (PLIP) allowed all property owners and occupancy rights holders to repossess their pre-war property. PLIP was completed in February 2004 after 1,688 families repossessed their former homes. However, approximately 500 families who vacated property remain in government funded alternative accommodation within the municipality. These families could benefit from reconstruction assistance under a new Council of Europe Development Bank loan project, the implementation of which will commence in the latter half of RECONSTRUCTION Memorial plaque at Potocari Memorial Centre, Srebrenica Legal Aid, information and psychosocial support The Legal Aid Network Vasa prava ( Your Rights ) a UNHCR-supported national NGO operating throughout BiH has an office in Srebrenica, staffed with two lawyers and one information officer. A Centre for Local Development, funded by the European Commission (EC), also operates in Srebrenica. It supports returnee re-integration and acts as a Houses Approximately 6,600 houses were destroyed during and just after the war. Some 1,530 will have been reconstructed by the end of The primary international donors in Srebrenica have been the governments of the Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and U.S.A.. There are also a number of private donors providing housing assistance. These donors have made substantial contributions, primarily assisting those returnees that are able to rebuild their homes under a self-help policy. There are more than 2,600 families currently registered who are still awaiting housing and income generating assistance.

4 4 UNHCR invested some $680,000 in Srebrenica since 1996, which focused on reconstruction of homes, income generation activities and the provision of legal aid to all who need it, implemented by several NGOs. UNDP has been working in Srebrenica since 2002 to revitalise the municipality and surrounding villages. Their core task is in five areas: Economic Development, Local Government, Civil Society, Gender Mainstreaming and Infrastructure. The overall goal of the Srebrenica regional recovery Programme (SRRP) is to promote the socio-economic recovery while strengthening local government structures. The lack of economic opportunities, the high rate of unemployment, lack of modern technology, the loss of traditional markets linkages from before the war, coupled with the fact that qualified and skilled labour has fled, are mjor obstacles to getting the economy restarted. UNDP included housing assistance as part of their Srebrenica Regional Recovery Programme (SRRP) for the first time in 2005, as there remains a substantial reconstruction funding gap. The SRRP has committed $12.3 million and expects to have spent $11 million by the end of 2005 in the wider Srebrenica region. In 2004 the RS authorities, contributed KM 1,565,000, and the FBiH Government contributed KM 750,000 to the SRRP. In 2005, KM 612,000 for reconstruction of 34 housing units will be provided by the Return Fund established under the aegis of the State Commission on Refugees and Displaced Persons (SCRDP). Reconstruction funds are still required throughout Srebrenica Infrastructure Some of Srebrenica s villages are as far as 45 kilometers from the town by dirt roads, often inaccessible during the winter months. Returnees emphasize that return cannot be sustainable unless the pre-war infrastructure is re-established (e.g. regular bus lines to connect them with Srebrenica), since public services for residents in rural areas is almost nonexistent. In the past, USAID funded renovations of the electrical grid throughout Srebrenica. Despite a considerable monthly cash inflow, the electricity company does not budget funds to add new locations to the grid, however. This affects many return locations. The municipal water system was repaired with funding from the United Kingdom. The repair and on-going maintenance of primary roads is assisted by a World Bank loan. UNDP is providing assistance to reconstruct and repair eight rural feeder roads. These projects are co-financed with the municipality. However, a great deal of additional infrastructural support will be required to facilitate returns.

5 5 ACCESS TO PUBLIC SERVICES Education Primary and Secondary education is available in Srebrenica town. Several primary schools were repaired in returnee areas, but they only provide education up to the fourth grade, forcing older children to travel to the town to finish compulsory primary education. In some returnee areas there are no schools, in which case children, as young as six years of age, attend boarding schools in Sarajevo and visit their parents only during school holidays. New identification Documents Many returnees do not register as Srebrenica residents, thereby retaining benefits they enjoy in their former places of displacement in the FBiH (payments for families of missing persons, access to health care, social/pension benefits, priority in the fields of education, employment and housing, etc.). Health care Health services provided by the Dom Zdravlja are available to all, with a doctor from Tuzla visiting every 15 days. Utilities In recent years, the Srebrenica Legal Aid Centre of Vasa prava has received a decreasing number of complaints regarding telephone and water connections. UNHCR has met on numerous occasions with officials from the electric company at the regional and municipal level to ensure that services are provided on a fair and equal basis. Massive electrical infrastructure development is needed. war, this is now largely defunct despite the presence of valuable natural resources. Minority returnees complain that no minorities have been hired in the businesses that do exist, with the exception of the newly created Government of Sweden/Sida-funded food processing plant near the Potocari Memorial. Regional Economic Development authorities believe business potential exists in the following three sectors: a) Agro-business; b) Wood processing; and c) Tourism. Each would require substantial infrastructural investment in the future. The most viable option to achieve economic sustainability for rural returnees is agro-business. Local farm associations and co-operatives are attempting to secure European Union issued organic certifications for export of organic products. Ukrainian investors began rehabilitation and development of the Sase mine in However, no returnees work in the underutilized mine. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has initiated a project in Skelani in (ends) ECONOMIC SITUATION The very poor economic situation in Srebrenica is a primary obstacle to further returns. While Srebrenica had significant industrial activity before the