RUSSIAN UN COMMANDER FIRED FOR FAILURES IN PERFORMING DUTY

ZAGREB, April 11 (Hina) - The commander of UN forces in eastern Slavonia and Baranja (former UNPA Sector East), Russian Major General Alexander Perelyakin was dismissed from office after a UN investigation had revealed his unprofessional conduct and failures in service performance, a UN spokesman, Michael Williams, said at a press conference in Zagreb on Tuesday. The replacement of Gen. Perelyakin took effect at noon, April 11, Williams added. The UN New York headquarters decided to make changes in the command on the grounds of the UN investigation initiated because of problems in discipline and morale in 'Sector East'. UN commander- in-chief, General Bertrand Janvier, met the General Perelyakin to tell him about his dismissal from April 11, Williams said. Asked whether Perelyakin had been sacked also because of the not allowed transfer of soldiers and arms from Serbia to the occupied area of Croatia and corruption and the running of contraband goods into the region under his command, Williams answered that a journalist who posed this question, put his finger on the two major issues. The deputy commander, Belgian Colonel Tonon, is to assume the command in the area until the appointment of a new commander. Russian authorities were informed of Perelyakin's dismissal on Monday through their ambassador in New York, Williams said adding that Moscow had not yet officially responded to the UN move. UN made this decision because of serious shortcomings in Perelyakin's performance of duty. UN chief commander, Gen. Janvier, a former chief-commander Gen. Bertrand de Lapresle, and the UN Secretary-General's special envoy Yasushi Akashi, were displeased with the repeated incompetence of Gen. Perelyakin to show acceptable standards in the command and with his failures to perform duty in line with the directions of the commander-in-chief as well as with his failure to make up for defects after being warned of them, Williams said. Gen. Perelyakin was told that he would not be allowed to remain in the area where he had commanded so far and he was asked to return to Russia on the day of dismissal, Williams said. Asked about the transit of heavy arms and soldiers from Serbia into the occupied Baranja area, Canadian Colonel Walt Natynczyk, said that according unconfirmed reports, on the night between 7 and 8 March "a convoy of military vehicles' had been spotted leaving the former Sector East near Erdut and entering Serbia's territory. Moving north the convoy re-entered the occupied area across the Batina Bridge, he explained. He said the convoy had consisted of 12 interceptors for tanks, six of them were of the M-36 B2 type and another six SI-100 type, made in Russia, and one bus with about 30 soldiers and a few escorting vehicles and artillery arms. A UN spokesman, Christopher Gunnes, described the situation in the former UNPA Sectors North and East as stable. He said it was calm in the former Sector South with several incidents such as landing and taking off of two "Galeb"-type and three "Orao" aircraft on the Udbina airfield on Monday. (hina) mm mms 112025 MET apr 95