BH POLICE OFFICERS TO JOIN UN PEACE MISSIONS

SARAJEVO, Dec 9 (Hina) - Eleven police officers from the Bosnian Serb entity will at the end of January 2000 join police forces which are to participate in UN peace missions, according to an agreement reached on Wednesday by the head of the UN Mission to Bosnia- Herzegovina, Jacques Klein, and Republika Srpska Premier Milorad Dodik. According to reports from the Sarajevo press on Thursday, during his visit to Banja Luka yesterday, Klein said the police officers would be representing the whole of Bosnia-Herzegovina and not only one of its entities. The policemen will be wearing the police uniforms of Republika Srpska but only with UN and BH insignia, Klein told reporters. International police commissioner in Bosnia-Herzegovina Detlef Buwitt announced that 30 Serb policemen would undergo a special training which would enable them to participate in peace missions. They will join police officers from other countries who are keeping peace in East Timor or Sierra Leone. UN officials in Bosnia have been negotiating with the authorities of Bosnia's two entities on establishing a 120-member unit composed of members of the Republika Srpska and BH Federation armies. The unit would also participate in UN peace missions, providing logistic and engineering support. There is a possibility that some senior officers with these armies could take part in these missions as unarmed observers. (hina) rml