SARAJEVO MEDIA: REACTIONS TO DEMILITARISATION IDEA

( Editorial: --> 1310 ) SARAJEVO, March 21 (Hina) - Following brief reports in the Sarajevo media, the demilitarisation idea for Bosnia-Herzegovina became the most important topic on Saturday. Reactions of the Bosniak (Muslim) side about the proposal which Croatian President Franjo Tudjman presented during his talks with the French and German foreign ministers last Wednesday in Zagreb, are negative without exception. The overall assessment of Bosniak officials who pronounced their views is that it would bring Bosnia-Herzegovina to the same position it was in back in 1992. Soldiers gave the most vocal and most radical opinions. General Atif Dudakovic of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who is also Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Federation Army's Joint Command, in a statement published by the Sarajevo daily "Dnevni Avaz", said that Bosnia-Herzegovina cannot be without its army because risks of war on its territory have not been eliminated. "We have to guarantee sovereignty for ourselves and we cannot rely on non-aggression pacts," said Dudakovic adding that demilitarisation would endanger the implementation of the "Equip and Train" program which is part of the Dayton agreement. The former Bosnian Ambassador to Croatia and current adviser to Izetbegovic on the implementation of the Dayton agreement, Kasim Trnka, in a statement given to another Sarajevo daily "Oslobodjenje", says that demilitarisation of Bosnia-Herzegovina would also require the peace agreement to be changed. "Demilitarisation of Bosnia-Herzegovina alone is inadmissible. It can no longer be anybody's easy prey," said Trnka reminding that this could only be discussed if demilitarisation was to take place in Croatia and Yugoslavia. Trnka believes that by presenting the proposal, Tudjman was trying to deflect attention from more important questions which he was discussing with Vedrine and Kinkel, the French and German foreign ministers. Contrary to other media, "Oslobodenje" tried to present the opinion of Zagreb officials. Croatian Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina Darinko Bago explained that Tudjman's idea was directed towards securing the integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina and its sovereignty its internationally recognised borders. Bago said demilitarisation would only accelerate democratisation processes, as well as reconstruction and development of the country. He agrees that it would mean certain modifications to the Dayton agreement but stresses that nobody thinks that this could be achieved in a few days. That process would be preceded by serious political discussions, said Bago. Commenting on the Bosniak request that demilitarisation for Croatia be discussed as well, Bago said that this is not necessary for a stable country. (hina) jn mrb/rm 211603 MET mar 98