OHR (S) reply to Mostar Deputy Mayor regarding the Mostar Returns Agreement

OHR refutes the allegations made by Deputy Mayor Orucevic that OHR did not fulfill its obligations foreseen by the agreement on return to Mostar. OHR never committed itself, in the addendum to the Mostar Return Agreement signed on 09 December 1998, to provide additional material support for the Buffer settlement over and above that which was provided by UNHCR in the construction of the original 100 buffer units.

In the addendum, OHR committed itself to making every effort to seek donor resources to fully support the Mostar Return Agreement. This we have done and will continue to do. A project to provide for the reconstruction of some 60 homes of Bosniacs residing in the buffer accommodation will commence shortly, and beneficiaries are due to be selected.

We also must add that one cause of the overall delay to this project was the miss-use of the buffer accommodation by the East Mostar authorities, who moved persons into this temporary accommodation without following the procedures laid down by the IC.