ŽUPLJANIN CALLS FOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR DISMISSED SERB MEMBERS OF BiH ARMED FORCES

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 24 /SRNA/ - The Republika Srpska Association of Patriots has called on the competent authorities and institutions of Srpska to help members of the Armed Forces of BiH who were dismissed by Defense Minister in the Council of Ministers Zukan Helez.

Association president Slobodan Župljanin told SRNA that he did not believe the matter would end there and said he expected Helez to continue targeting those who do not share his views, with members of the Serb people particularly affected. Župljanin called on Serb patriots to give their full support to members of the Serb people who live and work in the FBiH and who, he said, are victims of what he described as the conduct of Helez, Foreign Minister in the Council of Ministers Elmedin Konaković and others. "Helez is not giving up on his intention to completely dismantle BiH and is destroying even the little hope that BiH can exist in the form established by the Dayton Agreement and the BiH Constitution," he said. Župljanin stressed that with his latest decision to dismiss two cadets who had praised General Ratko Mladić, Helez was undermining the Armed Forces, which he said could not exist without all three constituent peoples. He reminded that such conduct was not surprising given what he described as numerous incidents during Helez's term in office. Among them, Župljanin listed the theft of military weapons from Armed Forces of BiH facilities, unlawful appropriation, destruction and illegal sale of military equipment and weapons on the black market, abuse of the religious rights and freedoms of Armed Forces members, unlawful punishment of members of the Serb people, failure to prosecute offenders from among the Bosniak people, warmongering rhetoric and threats involving divisions, corps, drones and howitzers.