Bosnians, SFOR commanders meet,
discuss reorganization of Bosnian forces
By Keith Boydston,
Bosnia bureau
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — Top Bosnian military commanders and
Stabilization Force leaders met last week to debate initiatives designed to reorganize and
reduce Bosnia’s armed forces.
"The plans that both parties have put forward constitute a remarkable step forward
and a significant milestone in the process of restructuring [armed forces] in
Bosnia," British Maj. Gen. John Kiszely, the SFOR deputy commander of operations,
said after a 2½-hour meeting of the Joint Military Commission on Wednesday.
"Furthermore, it will facilitate their future participation in peace support
operations and will foster cooperation with the European community and Euro-Atlantic
security structures."
At issue are plans to downsize, restructure and unite Bosnia’s two military
forces. The armies of the once-warring factions, the Muslim-Croat Federation and the
Republika Srpska, were left intact as part of the Dayton Peace Accords.
According to the Office for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the federation force
numbers about 24,000 professional troops with an additional 9,000 in reserve. The
Republika Srpska army, composed mainly of ethnic Serbs, totals about 10,000 professional
soldiers and 6,000 reservists. Plans call for a reduction to around 20,000 full-time
troops between the two.
But during a press conference Wednesday, SFOR officials were hesitant to discuss
details of the talks.
"Both sides have made great strides in the restructuring process," Kiszely
said. "This is the first step in the reduction of forces in Bosnia."
Officials dodged questions about a joint Bosnian military force.
"Clearly, there will be some integration," Kiszely said. "But the degree
[of integration] is a matter of the two parties coming to an agreement."
"The emphasis remains on joint units," said Maj. Gen. Atif Dudakovic,
commander of the joint command of the federation army. "But if you’re expecting
joint action or integration, that wasn’t the subject of discussions today."
"The restructuring is not only about manpower reduction, but also disbanding units
and closing certain sites," added Lt. Gen. Novica Simic, the chief of general staff
of the army of Republika Srpska. "It is our goal to create small armies that can
eventually support United Nations operations."
When pressed for details, Simic admitted that a four-year plan had been discussed
during the meeting. The Republika Srpska force will shrink to 6,600 professional troops by
2005, he said.
Another goal of the reorganization initiative is to reduce Bosnia’s military
budget — considered one of the highest in the world.
"In many countries the defense budget does not exceed two percent of Gross
Domestic Product," Ambassador Robert Beecroft, the head of the OSCE’s mission to
Bosnia and Herzegovina, said last month. "In only a few countries is the defense
budget as high as it is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it averages 6 percent."
In comparison, Beecroft said, defense spending in the United States averages about 3.2
percent of GDP, in China 1.2 percent, the United Kingdom 2.7 percent, Turkey 5.6 percent
and Israel 9.5 percent.
Officials hope to cut Bosnia’s military budget by two-thirds.
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