MORE THAN 90% HVO SOLDIERS EXPECTED TO LEAVE BARRACKS TODAY

MOSTAR, March 28 (Hina) - During the next 24 hours more than 90 percent of the total 8,000 members of the Croatian Defence Council, the Croat component of the Bosnian Federation army, will leave barracks in respect of a Croat National Assembly decision on the temporary disbanding of the HVO, the commanding officer of the Croat Bosnian Federation army component, Major General Mijo Jelic, told a news conference Wednesday. According to Jelic, HVO barracks will be sealed off, with only guard services to secure command posts and to, together with SFOR, secure facilities and warehouses in which weapons are located. Jelic is convinced the temporary disbanding of the HVO was the single correct way to "preserve our Croat component from an illegal and occupying authority". He asserted Croat soldiers will return to their barracks, when the freedom and equality of the Croat people is solved. He added the soldiers will return to the barracks sooner than some think. General Jelic stressed he was convinced SFOR troops would continue working on the establishment of peace and stability in Bosnia- Herzegovina for all the three peoples. "We will not allow anybody other than Croat soldiers to be located in Croat barracks," Jelic said. He called on Croats in the neighbouring Croatia and across the world "to help us and join us in a fair and democratic fight for freedom and equality of the Croat people in Bosnia-Herzegovina". (hina) lml sb