The Office of the High Representative fully supports the actions taken today by SFOR in response to the unauthorized appointments and promotions of HVO generals by Member of Presidency and HDZ President Ante Jelavic.
SFOR, acting within its mandate, seized and removed equipment from HVO military sites directly associated with the officers named in these appointments.
The OHR demands that the appointments and promotions be suspended until they have been approved by COMSFOR, as set out in a letter by the High Representative and COMSFOR dated 21 October 1998 and in the Instructions to Parties on the Professionalization of the Entity Armed Forces from 6 December 1998. The goal is to create professional armed forces with politically independent, competent, qualified and committed commanding officers.
The OHR calls on Mr Jelavic to resolve the matter quickly in consultations with SFOR, and continues to lend its full support to SFOR.