JOVIĆ: SERB RETURNES SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH PROTECTION

BANJA LUKA, JULY 22 /SRNA/ - The Acting Director of the Republika Srpska Secretariat for Displaced Persons and Migration, Slađan Jović, visited today Serb returnees Mika Davidović and her husband Željko Matić, who were attacked by three Bosniaks in Lušci Palanka near Sanski Most, and stressed that returnees must be provided with protection.

They confirmed during talks with the victims the neglect and lack of interest of the FBiH institutions in resolving the long-standing problem of the small number of Serb returnees, who are simply trying to live and work normally on their pre-war properties. Jović said that he would arrange a meeting with the mayor to find the best way to protect Serbs and their property in that area. "The specific status of Serb returnees and better treatment is something we will insist on, because it is truly devastating that such situations continue to occur. We will seek only what is prescribed and guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement, which is obviously respected only in the territory of Republika Srpska," Jović pointed out. The Secretariat said that he hopes for a positive outcome, given the previous cooperation, which has always been good and in the interest of this category of the population. Jović stated that the institutions of Republika Srpska subsidise and implement various projects of importance for the Serb people in the FBiH, while also taking care of returnees in Republika Srpska, which can be seen in any area where they live and where such incidents do not occur. The married couple said that their statements were taken only several days after this unpleasant incident, and only following pressure from the media and institutions of Republika Srpska. There are few local communities where Serbs have exercised all their rights without discrimination and intimidation, and where the FBiH invests in infrastructure projects, reconstruction and construction. Serb returnees rely mostly on Republika Srpska, and it has long become clear that the lack of response from the Federation-level institutions represents tacit support for physical attacks, the seizure of property and, ultimately, the erasure of everything Serbian in the territory of the Federation of BiH. A press release said that this is evidenced by attacks that have become increasingly frequent, noting that in just the past few days there have been attacks on this married couple, the seizure of property belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church in Bugojno, and damage to an Orthodox religious building in Gornja Brijesnica near Lukavac.