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The Balkans
November 16, 2004 5:46 PM
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in the European Parliament
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in the European Parliament
Sarah continues to be active in raising Balkans issues as a member of the European Parliament delegation to Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia & Montenegro (including Kosovo). She has made two speeches recently in the Parliament - one on 25 October 2004 on war criminal Radovan Karadzic, and one on 16 November 2004 on the EU military mission in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
25 October 2004
Ludford (ALDE). - Mr President, it was just announced that tomorrow we will vote urgently on financial aid for Serbia and Montenegro.
However, a week ago there was an extraordinary book launch in Belgrade. It was by Radovan Karadzic, formerly President of the Bosnian Serbs. Mr Karadzic is wanted on two counts of genocide at the UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague and, together with Ratko Mladic, he is held responsible for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, where 7 000 Muslim men and boys were systematically murdered, and the siege of Sarajevo, which caused 12 000 deaths and terrible suffering.
Mr Karadzic's book is called The Miraculous Chronicle of the Night. Mr Karadzic was not present at the launch. However, the fact that he has been able to publish a book and escape the Nato and Bosnian Serb police, who are supposed to be looking for him, is itself a miraculous chronicle of the night. It does not inspire confidence that these forces are doing enough to harass him and his network of loyal supporters so that he can be brought to justice. I hope Parliament can send a message that Nato and the Bosnian Serb police need to try a little harder.
16 November 2004
Ludford (ALDE). - Mr President, I welcome the switch to an EU military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I also applaud the fact that Lord Ashdown will promote overall EU political coordination there and, specifically, will give the EU force political advice.
NATO's SFOR was criticised by Amnesty International for human rights violations. Lord Ashdown will have an important role in ensuring that the ALTHEA EUFOR mission does not practice arbitrary arrests or ill-treatment of detainees. I would urge that the Bosnia and Herzegovina Human Rights Ombudsman be given jurisdiction over their activities. I also hope that the EU takeover of military responsibility will lead to an energetic effort to find war criminals and deliver them to The Hague.
Finally, I want an assurance of zero tolerance towards sexual abuse, exploitation and use of prostitutes who are victims of trafficking.
It is at last time to say goodbye to Commissioner Patten, but I look forward to working with him in the quest for a 'yes' vote on the Constitution in Britain.
***
Ludford (second intervention). - Mr President, like Mrs Pack I asked some specific questions. One of these was similar to hers and concerned assurances as to the non-use of prostitutes who are the victims of trafficking. This is not a trivial point, it is really important.
Secondly, I asked whether the Bosnia and Herzegovina Human Rights Ombudsman would have jurisdiction over EUFOR activities with a view to avoiding the kind of criticisms levelled at SFOR regarding arbitrary arrests and the ill treatment of detainees. These were very specific questions and I would be very grateful for an answer from the presidency.
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