ZAGREB, Sept 22 (Hina) - Ten officers of the Croatian Army are travelling on Monday to Sierra Leone to take part in a UN peace-keeping mission in that western African country. Since Croatia won is independence this has been the first
time for Croats to participate in such a task. Croatia has accepted an invitation from the UN peace operations office to deploy its military observers within United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL). "Officers are fully prepared for the mission," said Croatian Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac to reporters after his meeting with those ten officers in Zagreb on Wednesday. Miljavac confirmed that the United Nations had asked Croatia whether it could prepare about 200 soldiers for this mission in Africa, adding that it was primarily a political issue. According to him, a time term of 30 days for giving an answer is too short for preparing that
ZAGREB, Sept 22 (Hina) - Ten officers of the Croatian Army are
travelling on Monday to Sierra Leone to take part in a UN peace-
keeping mission in that western African country.
Since Croatia won is independence this has been the first time for
Croats to participate in such a task.
Croatia has accepted an invitation from the UN peace operations
office to deploy its military observers within United Nations
Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL).
"Officers are fully prepared for the mission," said Croatian
Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac to reporters after his meeting with
those ten officers in Zagreb on Wednesday.
Miljavac confirmed that the United Nations had asked Croatia
whether it could prepare about 200 soldiers for this mission in
Africa, adding that it was primarily a political issue. According
to him, a time term of 30 days for giving an answer is too short for
preparing that number of soldiers and Miljavac believes that
Croatia would not be able to answer positively to that request.
At the beginning of July, UN forwarded the request to Croatia asking
Zagreb to send military observers. The UNOMSIL mission,
established by UN Resolution of 13 June 1998, will involve military
observers from 13 countries who should monitor the situation on the
ground following a civil war in Sierra Leone. The nine-year-long
armed conflict in this 4.5-million country ended this July by a
peace treaty between two belligerent parties.
(hina) ms