Bosnian Croat deserters "to face justice"

The international authorities in Bosnia-Hercegovina say they will take action against the leaders of the mass desertion by ethnic Croat soldiers in the army of the Muslim-Croat Federation.

The desertions followed a call for self rule by separatist Croat leaders in the Federation.

Captain Andrew Coxhead of the NATO-led Stabilization Force in Bosnia, SFOR, told the BBC that the soldiers could not take their weapons with them and said there is no threat to peace and security in the country. The exact number of deserters is difficult to gauge, but the separatists say several thousand soldiers have left their posts.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service