General Wilz: The Armed Forces BiH must not participate in the marking of the 9th of January

Commander and Senior Military Representative of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Headquarters in BiH, Brigadier General Giselle M. Wilz, said in a short interview with news agency Patria that the institutional and legal framework about the 9th of January is clear:

- The regimental system, including the Third Infantry Regiment (Republika Srpska), was established on the basis of the agreement of all three constitutive people to create an approved mechanism for nurturing special legacies and traditions. According to that, all activities of the regiments have to be approved through the chain of command defined by the laws and regulations in the area of defense. The Minister of Defense was right not to approve participation of the Armed Forces BiH in the activities relating to the 9th of January.

General Wilz also said that all soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces BiH are sworn to defend the constitutional order of BiH.

- In addition, the Defense Law clearly says that activities which oppose the General Framework Agreement for Peace are the legal basis for dismissal from duty. Right now, the participation of any member of the Armed Forces BiH in any part of the program 'Day of Republika Srpska' on the 9th of January would constitute violation of BiH Defense Law: According to the Law, those persons would be subject to disciplinary action and dismissal from the military duty. Their action would have to be reviewed in the context of the Annex 1A of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH.