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Bosnia, under Western pressure, sacks soldiers
SARAJEVO: Bosnia's Muslim-Croat federation has approved plans to lay off 10,000 professional soldiers, a cut of more than 40 percent. More than six years after the Bosnian war, international organisations sponsoring the peace process have warned that future assistance to the impoverished country partly depends on a reduction in military spending. In relative terms it far exceeds Western levels.
Post-war Bosnia consists of two highly autonomous territories, the federation and the Serb republic, which boast their own separate armed forces -- bitter battlefield enemies during the 1992-1995 conflict. Late on Wednesday, the lower house of the federation parliament gave the green light for the government to borrow 100 million marka ($45.1 million) from commercial banks, enabling it to compensate the soldiers, who will be laid off by end of June.
The government would pay back the loans with the help of donor funds and privatisation proceeds. The decision means the federation defence ministry can go ahead with its pledge to cut the armed forces by 10,000 soldiers to 13,200 in a bid to reduce costs. It must also be approved by the upper house, but this is seen as a formality as it is dominated by the ruling parties. Around 8,600 soldiers and ministry officials have already voluntarily applied to leave their jobs, Federation Defence Minister Mijo Anic said this week, adding the final number was likely to exceed 10,000.
Bosnia's Serb republic had earlier announced plans to cut its armed forces by half from 12,000 by 2005. The World Bank says military expenditure accounts for 10.5 percent of the federation's gross domestic product and for seven percent in the Serb republic -- well above the European Union average of 2.6 percent and the U.S. average of 4.6 percent.
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