THE BOSNIAN government showed signs yesterday of softening its demands for information on thousands of people who are missing, presumed dead, in Serb held areas of Bosnia.
The US human rights envoy, Mr John Shattuck, said after talks in Sarajevo with President Alija Izetbegovic "I was assured by the president that he will continue to release prisoners."
This followed a warning by the Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, that Bosnia could lose US aid to rebuild its army and repair war damage.
The Muslim led government had made provision of the information a condition for releasing Serb prisoners.
Although some Serb and Croat prisoners have been freed, about 600 detainees from all three factions still await release. This should have occurred by last Friday under the Dayton peace agreement.
The International Red Cross, responsible for overseeing the release of prisoners of war, and the peace implementation force for insists that the release of prisoners should be independent of any other considerations and unconditional. But the Bosnians insist on using the Serb prisoners as a bargaining counter contrary to international humanitarian law.
The peace agreement continues to hold although there have been other minor infractions by the Bosnian government. In the British controlled sector two Bosnian military police vehicles have been seized in the 4 km wide zone of separation straddling the cease fire line and forbidden weapons (rifles) were confiscated.
The battle fronts are mainly quiet. Large areas formerly controlled by the Bosnian Serbs and captured in the final phases of the war are now open to traffic from the Muslim Croat federation, the UN and other visitors, as well as for, which enjoys untrammelled freedom of movement across the entire country.
The government has re established control of a tarmac road running across the wild and desolate country known as the Ozren as far as Banovici.
It has improved dramatically access to the big city of Tuzla, which for years could only be reached over a tortuous mountain route along the strategic highway. New road signs have sprouted, pointing to Tuzla as much a proclamation of victory as information.
AFP adds from Sarajevo A Bosnian woman who was held prisoner for more than three years, reportedly in the cellar of a Serb house, was released by her captors yesterday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
The woman was identified as Ms Saika Hajruli, in her 50s.