SFOR TAKES OVER BARRACKS IN ODZAK, NORTHERN BOSNIA

ORASJE/DONJA DUBICA (Hina) - Units of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) on Friday afternoon entered the military barracks of the First Battalion of the HVO (the Croat component in the Croat- Moslem Army of the Bosnian Federation) in the village of Donja Dubica in the Croat municipality of Odzak (northern Bosnia), to discontinue the protests of local civilians. Protesters, mostly members of Croat associations set up during and after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992-1995) started to gather in front of the barracks on Thursday protesting against the newly- elected Croat members in the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Federation. On the other hand, military units in the barracks have already expressed their loyalty to those new Croat representatives in the authority. On Thursday evening some soldiers and officers left the barracks in order to avoid conflict with villagers and some associations' members. According to unofficial reports, SFOR units which came into the premises of the barracks in question this afternoon, said they were prepared to use military helicopters to defend their position in the barracks. SFOR threatened to use force if any of civilians approach near the fence of the barracks, Ivo Maric, a negotiator on behalf of the associations in this dispute, was quoted by a local station as saying. He added that it was not clear to him from whom SFOR defended the barracks and soldiers inside when it was known that from both sides there were Croats. (hina) sb ms