960417

Key deadline looms for NATO, Bosnian forces

SARAJEVO: Bosnia's three armies rushed to get troops into barracks and heavy weapons into storage sites on Wednesday to meet a key deadline in the Dayton peace accord, NATO said.

"All the parties appear to be making a genuine effort to comply," NATO spokesman Major Simon Haselock said on Wednesday.

"This is a major challenge for them in terms of staff work, logistics and accomodations."

The peace agreement, most of whose military aspects are being implemented under NATO supervision, gives the formerly warring parties until 11:59 p.m. local time on Thursday to return their forces to a peace-time footing.

The deadline, known as "D plus 120" (deployment plus 120 days), marks a momentous milestone for the NATO peace force which arrived in Bosnia four months ago to supervise the stand- down of armies who had been fighting since 1992.

When the Dayton agreement was signed in December, government, separatist Serb and Croat militia soldiers still occupied trenches along a 1,000 kilometre (600-mile) line of confrontation.

By NATO estimate about 300,000 men, 750 tanks, 1,300 artillery pieces, 145 multiple-barreled rocket launchers and 3,500 mortars remained in the field, tempting the parties to resume hostilities.

Over the past four months the men and weapons have been pulled back behind a formally demarcated "Zone of Separation" across the country.

The final step, to be carried out by midnight Thursday, is for all soldiers and armaments to be housed in NATO-approved barracks, storage sites or cantonment areas.

The effort has been characterized by the NATO ground force commander in Bosnia, Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Walker, as "one of the largest, most ambitious and complex movements of military forces in such a confined area in recent history".

Between 130,000 and 150,000 soldiers are expected to be finally accommodated in barracks, at least halving the collective force of the standing armies.

Finding suitable sites for even that many has proved a major headache in a country where cities and military facilities have been badly damaged by fighting.

Shortages of troop and weapons transporters and capable logistics officers have further complicated the Bosnian task.

"Not all the forces involved in this process are up to the continuing task of making these complex moves immediately upon receiving approval of a site," said NATO's Lieutenant-Colonel Herman Beckman.

He said about 800 sites had been proposed by the parties, of which more than 400 have been approved.

An initial evaluation of compliance is not likely to be available before the weekend, but NATO officers indicate the yardstick will be demonstrated intent and good faith rather than 100 per cent completion of troop and weapons movements.

"What we are looking for is a realistic, genuine and serious effort to comply," Haselock said.-Reuter