By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
12 -- During
the Bosnia and
Herzogovina
debate in the
UN Security
Council on May
12 the attack
on the police
station in
Zvornik on
April 27 was
described with
varying levels
of detail.
High
Representative
Valentin Inzko
said "A week
after
submitting my
report, Bosnia
and
Herzegovina
was rocked by
a shocking
incident when
a lone
attacker
killed one
police officer
and injured
two others at
a police
station. I
take this
opportunity to
again offer my
condolences to
the family of
the police
officer who
lost his life
in the line of
duty. I also
wish a speedy
recovery to
the two
injured police
officers. The
response of
the
authorities
was swift and
it will be
important that
we see ever
closer
cooperation
between
authorities at
all levels to
tackle a wide
range of law
enforcement
challenges
facing the
country,
including the
ongoing fight
against
terrorism,
which as we
know is a
global
change."
Russia's
Ambassador
Vitaly Churkin
in his speech
said, "We
would like to
draw your
attention to
trends which
should lead to
concern, not
only within
the context of
Bosnia
Herzegovina,
but the region
as a whole. We
are referring
here to a
growth of
extremism
among the
Bosnian
population in
Bosnia
Herzegovina
and in other
Muslim
communities in
the region of
the western
Balkans. This
threat is one
which should
be viewed in
the right key.
The terrorist
action in the
city of
Zvornik on the
27th of April,
where an armed
Islamist
attacked a
police
station, is
confirmation
of this.
"Especial
attention
should be
devoted to the
participation
of Bosnians in
the conflicts
in the Middle
East. As part
of IS and
Jabhat al
Nusra, you
have hundreds
of citizens of
BH and there
is also a
channel for
the transit of
terrorists
through the
country. We
welcome the
efforts in
Sarajevo to
increase the
responsibility
of foreign
fighters for
their actions
abroad. Last
year,
amendments
were made to
the criminal
code which are
to limit the
recruitment of
Bosniaks into
ISIL and other
illegal
formations
abroad.
Bosnian law
enforcement
agencies are
carrying out
special
operations on
such networks
are arresting
locals. At the
same time,
such actions
and measures
remain
insufficient
and ae not
providing the
necessary
impact on
reducing the
influence of
Islamists. Of
course in the
post conflict
situation in
the western
Balkans this
is especially
dangerous,
confirmed by
the recent
outbreak of
inter ethnic
and inter
religious
confrontation
in
multinational
Macedonia and
in neighboring
regions."
The violence
in FYROM have
drawn nary a peep
from the UN
Security
Council.
Back on
November 11,
2014, the
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
resolution put
to the vote in
the UN
Security
Council drew a
rare
abstention,
from Russia.
After that,
the speeches
went on in
their
predicable
way.
High
Representative
for BiH
Valentin Inzko
said that “we
expect the
needs of
citizens to be
tackled head
on and for the
country to be
put back on
track for
Euro-Atlantic
integration.”
Russian
Ambassador
Vitaly
Churkin,
himself
Russia's envoy
to Bosnia at
one point,
said that the
5 plus 2
process in the
country should
not be
“infused with
new concepts
such as the
integration of
the country
into European
Union and
NATO.”
Guess
what was the
elephant in
the room, or
chamber? On
November 12 at
2:30 pm, there
is now
scheduled a
briefing about
Ukraine, by
Oscar
Fernandez
Taranco's
replacement
Jens
Toyberg-Frandzen
of Denmark,
who was until
recently UNDP
Resident
Representative
ad interim in
Ukraine
(July-September
2014) and back
in
2003-2006,
Resident
Coordinator
and Resident
Representative
in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Small world.
Earlier this
year at the
International
Monetary
Fund's May 22
embargoed
briefing,
spokesperson
Gerry Rice
answered Inner
City Press'
question about
the Balkan
floods.
From
the IMF
transcript
released
today, video
here from
Minute 26:
GERRY
RICE: Let me
go online for
a minute,
because I've
got a couple
of questions
here from
Matthew
Russell Lee.
He asked
Mali... and
about the
serious
flooding in
the Balkans
which we're
all, of
course, very
concerned
about that.
He's asking
about the
impact on the
countries of
the Balkans,
and Serbia,
and Bosnia.
Serbia's,
again,
been
significantly
affected. We
have great
concern, also,
about the
human
casualties and
the
wide-spread
damage, but we
do not yet
know the full
extent of
that. As an EU
pre-accession
country Serbia
will be
eligible for
aid from the
EU's disaster
Fund.
In the
meantime, the
IMF engaged
with Serbia
through our
policy advice,
as well as in
our discussion
with other
international,
financial
organizations
through our
resident
representative.
On Bosnia,
actually, we
have a staff
team on the
ground right
now.
Inner
City Press, beyond Mali
(reported here),
had also asked
about Yemen,
adding the
response to
that as an
update and now
here:
ICP
Question:
Yemen's
Finance
Minister said
the country
will reduce
fuel subsidies
to get a $500M
IMF program,
hoped to be
concluded by
end of May.
What is the
status, and
what about
fuel shortages
and impacted
Yemenis?
IMF
Answer: A
mission is
discussing
with the
authorities
their economic
reform program
and how the
IMF can
support them.
Well,
a similar
reduction in
subsidies by
the government
in 2005 led
protests that
left dozens
killed and
wounded. And
now? Watch
this site.
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