Bosnia Muslims, Croats to Boost Their Coalition

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Bosnia’s Croats and the Muslim-led government agreed Friday to strengthen their coalition, and an army commander said their joint forces are prepared to fight a “liberation war” against the rebel Serbs once a truce expires.

Diplomats have been pushing cooperation between the Croats and Muslims, hoping the prospect of a unified opposition will pressure Bosnian Serbs into rethinking their rejection of an international peace plan.

But time is running out on efforts to find a negotiated solution to nearly three years of war. Combatants are preparing for more heavy fighting after a four-month cease-fire expires May 1. The top U.N. official in the former Yugoslav federation, Yasushi Akashi, has warned that the truce is deteriorating rapidly.

Croat and Muslim negotiators met in Germany on Friday to finalize an agreement to unify their police, local governments and eventually their armies.

Gen. Rasim Delic, the commander of government forces, said a united Bosnian army-Croat force is “ready to continue the war . . . stronger and better equipped.”