DESTRUCTION OF BOSNIAN FEDERAL ARMS COMMENCES IN TUZLA

TUZLA/BRCKO, Jan 5 (Hina) - Destruction of a part of weapons of the Second Corps of the Federal Army began in the north-eastern Bosnian city of Tuzla on Wednesday. Present at that event were international peace-keepers (SFOR) and representatives of authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina's two entities - the Croat-Moslem Federation and the Republic of Srpska. The act of destruction was a result of a decree given by SFOR commander in Bosnia, in accordance with a general framework agreement on Bosnia and the final decision made by the arbiter for the district of Brcko. Under the arbiter's decision, by 31 December 1999 the two entities' armed forces should disband five units from the Federation's Army (three components of the Moslem-led Bosnian Army and two components of the Croat Defence Council or HVO) and two units from the Serb entity's military. The SFOR command in Tuzla confirmed that all those units had been disbanded by 15 December last year, and by the end of next month five Serb units should be transferred from the Brcko district. On Wednesday almost 1,400 guns, 800 odd machine-guns, one hundred grenade launchers and over 200 shoulder-mounted grenade launchers should be destroyed. The same amount of arms will be destroyed by the Croat component of the Federal armed forces as well as by the Army of the Serb republic that is to destroy arms in the barracks in the eastern town of Bijeljina by 17 January. According to instructions given by SFOR chief commander, the entities' armies should either re-deploy officer and non- commissioned officers from disbanded units in other units, cancel their contracts or retire them. The reduction in the number of troops and arms destruction in the district of Brcko (on the right bank of the Sava River) are in line with Bosnia's collective Presidency's decision on cuts by 15 percent of military potentials in 1999. (hina) mm ms