SARAJEVO, April 9 (Hina) - The head of the information department of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Army's Joint Command has said concrete measures are to be taken to cancel parallel structures in the federal forces.
SARAJEVO, April 9 (Hina) - The head of the information department of
the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Army's Joint Command has said
concrete measures are to be taken to cancel parallel structures in
the federal forces. #L#
Speaking on behalf of General Atif Dudakovic, commander of the
Croat-Muslim army, Brigadier Hamza Visca told reporters in
Sarajevo High Representative Paddy Ashdown's decisions on the
cancellation of parallel structures would be fully supported as it
was time to establish a single federal army.
Visca said that Dudakovic, as the commander of the federal army, had
in the past two years not been able to issue any orders to the First
Guard Corps which makes up the Croat component of the federal army.
"The commander of the Federation Army must have command powers over
all units," Visca said.
Federation Defence Minister Miroslav Nikolic said last week he
supported the elimination of parallel structures in the defence
system, but added this should not affect the division of the army
into its Croat and Bosniak components.
Brigadier Visca would not comment on the minister's statement,
saying only the federal army was waiting for political agreement
and instructions about the announced reforms, to be provided by
members of the state presidency, i.e. the defence ministry.
The federal army and defence ministry, although formally joined in
a single system under the Washington agreement of 1994, have
functioned according to separate ethnic principles since.
(hina) rml sb