Jajce, August 28, 1997 (IKA) — After yesterday#!s decision by the German minister of foreign affairs, Klaus Kinkel, made in agreement with the senior representative of the international community for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp, to release a million German marks of aid for the renewal of the Jajce region, distinguished state and church officials issued statements to IKA. “We are pleased that this obstacle has been removed because we can build roofs over the heads of 100 families in Jajce with these funds. This assistance is very important in Jajce because many families, also returnees, do not know where to go and where they will live,” emphasized Sabine Verderber, representative of the German Caritas in Jajce, who leads the renewal work.
The mayor of Jajce, Ivo Saraf, emphasized the following in his public statement: “Removal of the embargo by the German Government from funds intended for the renewal of Jajce is the best example of how it is necessary to help the areas that suffered the most from the war and that despite all difficulties have done the most for the return of displaced persons, refugees and persecuted persons because it must be known that all are returnees in Jajce. Some from a year ago and some from two years ago when the Croatian forces liberated the city of Jajce on September 13, 1995.” Among other remarks, Saraf added that so far approximately 19,000 citizens, of whom approximately 15,000 are Croats and 4,000 Bosnians, have returned to the region of Jajce and Pougarje. Referring to the earlier decision to cancel aid “on the basis of maliciously caused events and skillfully prepared information and disinformation,” the guardian of the Franciscan monastery in Jajce, Fra Stipo Marčinković, stated: “The people of Jajce are grateful to Mr. Klaus Kinkel for this second decision and the German humanitarian aid in Jajce via German Caritas,” adding: “Jajce Croats pray to God that, regarding Jajce, in the future no one will be malicious in their intentions or hasty in their decisions,” A statement on the occasion of the release of the aid was also given by the parish priest of the Sveti Ivan Krstitelj Parish, Fra Pero Jurišić. Concluding that the discords concerning the events in Jajce are being slowly resolved and that the situation is normalizing, in part due to the removal of the unjust economic embargo against the Croats in Jajce, Fra Pero emphasized: “Demonstrating that they are civilized and members of western culture, Croatian Catholics of this region always support peace, justice and equality for others on the entire territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina. As Christians, they condemn political manipulations, scripted events that always lead to incidents and unavoidable consequences. Committed permanently to peace, that which they seek for themselves they also want to make possible for others!”
A third of the 85 houses in Jajce to be repaired as soon as possible so that returnees can start living in them before winter belong to the Muslim population.