Bosnia: Ethnic fighting and its impact on the village of Vrbljani Kljuc (January 1996 - October 1998)

No references to a town of Vrbljani Kljuc in Bosnia could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. The following information pertains to  Kljuc.

A 21 January 1996 Tanjug article states:

Muslims and Croats are moving into the western Bosnian towns of Bosanski Petrovac, Kljuc, and Sanski Most, which the Dayton accords placed under Muslim-Croat control. The latest figures of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is engaged in humanitarian programs in that area, show that about 15,000 people lived in Petrovac, about 30,000 in Sanski Most, and about 37,000 in Kljuc before the Muslim-Croat army offensive in September last year and that 90-95 per cent of them had been Serbs.

Following the exodus of more than 150,000 Serbs from western Bosnia into other parts of Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb Republic) and the signing of the Dayton accords, the authorities of the Muslim-Croat federation started populating these three towns with Muslims and Croats from Republika Srpska.

According to the ICRC, there were 5,000 people in Petrovac, 3,500 in Kljuc, and 6,500 in Sanski Most in December, mostly Muslims and some Croats. The local authorities plan to bring another 10,000-20,000 people to settle in these towns by the end of the year.

A 1 April 1997 Bosnian Serb News Agency SRNA article states:

A group of 20 Serb refugees from the [Bosnian Muslim-held town of] Kljuc [in western Bosnia] were mistreated by the Muslim authorities when they tried to visit the [Serb] graveyards in Kljuc and [the Bosnian Muslim-held village of] Sanica [near Kljuc]. Several refugees told SRNA in Banja Luka today that the Muslim authorities had initially allowed them to visit Kljuc but then took them to the nearby [village of] Laniste to see an alleged [Bosnian Muslim] mass grave.

"We are enraged by the behaviour of Zdravko Stevandic [Serb name] who negotiated our visit with the Muslim authorities in Kljuc. He did not tell us that we would have to inspect the alleged Muslim mass graves," Zora Klepic told us.

She pointed out that the Muslims had created a media spectacle and forced the Serb refugees to grant interviews to the so-called Bosnia-Hercegovina TV and the independent [Serb-held town] Banja Luka TV and say how "pleased they are with the way their former [Bosnian Muslim] neighbours received them".

"However, the truth is that we had to listen to screams, whistling and abuse while leaving the graveyard in Kljuc. We would never have embarked on this trip had we known what we would have to go through," Mrs. Klepic said.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Bosnian Serb News Agency SRNA [in Serbo-Croat]. 1 April 1997. "Serbs Reportedly Mistreated During Visit to Federation." (BBC Summary 3 Apr. 1997/NEXIS)

Tanjug [Belgrade, in English]. 21 January 1996. "B-H: Muslims, Croats Move Into Western Bosnia Towns." (FBIS-EEU-96-014 21 Jan. 1996/WNC)

Additional Sources Consulted

Amnesty International Report. 1997, 1998.

Electronic sources: IRB databases, Internet, NEXIS/LEXIS, REFWORLD, WNC.

Human Rights Watch World Report. 1997, 1998.

News from Helsinki Watch [New York]. February 1996 - July 1998.

Transition [Prague]. January 1996 - August 1998.

Unsuccessful attempts to contact oral sources.