BH FEDERATION POLICE FORCES CALLED TO CARRY OUT REGULAR DUTIES

SARAJEVO, March 15 (Hina) - Vincent Courderoy, a French gendarmerie general and commissioner of the international police force (IPTF) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Thursday called on all members of local police forces in the country's Croat-Muslim entity to continue performing their professional tasks and refrain from any political activities. UN Mission spokesman Douglas Coffman told reporters in Sarajevo today Commissioner Courderoy had forwarded a special letter to the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina police officers pointing it was their duty to protect all citizens and the rule of law. Coffman said the instruction had been prompted by what he described as the latest sad political events in the Federation. The IPTF commissioner has warned police officers that any involvement in political activities will be penalised with the cancellation of their police work permits. This also means that they will be permanently banned from performing any tasks in the sector of internal affairs. Answering a reporter's question, Coffman said there had been no reports of unusual events in police departments on the ground or the removal of federal insignia from police uniforms in the past several days. (hina) rml