BOSNIA: SARAJEVO: GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER VOLKER RUEHE VISIT

(14 Apr 1998) German/Nat

German Defence Minister Volker Ruehe visited Sarajevo on Tuesday to meet with German soldiers serving in the S-FOR peace keeping force in Bosnia.

He said that German troops are as ready as any other soldiers in the NATO-led deployment to participate in the eventual arrest of the country's number one Serb war crimes suspect, Radovan Karadzic.

The German Defence Minister visited his troops at the Rajlovac base outside Sarajevo on Tuesday and used the opportunity to clarify the German Government's understanding of role of the S-FOR troops in Bosnia.

In heavy snow Volker Ruehe, who wore military fatigues over his suit, inspected the troops.

The visit comes at a time of increasing speculation that S-FOR may be contemplating the arrest of war-time Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic.

If caught, he is certain to face war crimes charges before the U-N War Crimes tribunal in The Hague, in The Netherlands.

Shortly, the German parliament is due to make a decision on the future involvement of its troops within S-FOR in Bosnia.

Ruehe was asked by reporters whether German peace-keepers would participate in Karadzic's arrest.

SOUNDBITE: (German)
"The German soldiers are doing all the same tasks as the other soldiers under the S-FOR mandate. You all know the content of the mandate. But I want to add that I have absolutely no doubt that all criminals will end up at the Hague, whether by their own volition or not."
SUPER CAPTION: Volker Ruehe, German Defence Minister

War-time Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic has recently come under increased pressure to surrender to the war crimes tribunal.

He has, however, so far refused to comply with summons to the tribunal.

After an extensive tour of the French-German base, Ruehe had lunch with German officers.

Late in the day he flew to the north-western town of Banja Luka, where he will meet senior Bosnian Serb leaders to discuss return of Bosnian refugees currently living in Germany.

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