New border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina was built far away from the actual border.
The new border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina Bili Brig, near Sinj, has recently been opened, but locals say that it was built more than two kilometres inside Croatian territory, although Interior Minister Vlaho Orepić (MOST) promised over the summer that it would be moved closer to the border, reports Večernji List on November 10, 2016.
Minister Orepić was in Brussels so he was unavailable for a comment, but MP Miro Bulj (MOST) was ready to comment on the issue. He is convinced that the border crossing, despite the fact that it became operational on Tuesday, would ultimately be moved to the border, where Bosnian police and customs officers are located.
“Every Croatian stone must stay within the state border. Otherwise, it would mean that we gave given away our territory for which we until recently bled and died. I will talk to Orepić when he gets back. He said he would give the order to fix the mistake, which occurred because there was a wrong entry in the cadastre records. It is unacceptable that the border crossing has been opened, but I am sure it will be moved to the actual border”, said Bulj.
The construction of the disputed border crossing began during the term of Interior Minister Ranko Ostojić (SDP) and people whose houses, barns and plots of land remained on the other said of the border crossing organized several protests. Between the two border crossings there is a whole hamlet with 20 houses, barns, hives, and a forest. The Town Council of Sinj sent a letter to Ostojić demanding suspension of construction works. “Ostojić did not respond, while Orepić came here and talked with the locals. The mistake will be fixed”, said Bulj.
“Many people still do not know that the border crossing has been opened, and therefore we have not yet discussed whether to do something about it. I think we need to wait for the reaction of Minister Orepić. I hope that he will fulfil his promise”, said Dražen Efendić, who owns part of the land between the two border crossings.
The locals are in possession of a map from 1718, from the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when the border was four kilometres deeper in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During Yugoslavian times the border was moved towards Croatia, and this border has been accepted by both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The locals claim that the error occurred during surveying operations in 2004.
“The mistake was made by the State Geodetic Administration when they surveyed the area, because they did not consult with people who live here. The problem does not concern just this area, but also the part of territory from Kamensko to Martin Brod”, said Darko Gavrić from the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service.
