BELGRADE. Aug 7: A rift between Bosnian Serb politicians and military has widened after the generals were warned they will be punished if they continue backing replaced army commander General Ratko Mladic, reports Reuter.

Each abuse of the chain of command and orders must be sanctioned in keeping with the law." Bosnian Serb "Parliament" Speaker Momcilo Krajisnik said on Sunday evening.

He was speaking to reporters after a parliament session which

“wholeheartedly supported” a decision by Bosnian Serb "President”. Radovan Karadzic to reshuffle the military command.

Minister of Information" Miroslav Toholj warned that a “state of war excludes any

possibility of rejecting orders."

The rift, which began when Mladic accused political leaders and parliament members of war profiteering to the detriment of the war effort, peaked on Friday when Karadzic announced a reshuffle of the military command.

Karadzic said he was assuming command of the army and shunted Mladic to a nonexistent post of liaison officer between the Bosnian Serb Army (BSA) and Croatian Serb troops fleeing a Croatian offensive in the neighbouring Krajina enclave.

Mladic rejected the decision. which he called illegal, and was backed on Sunday by 18 top generals who refused to accept orders from the political leadership.

The generals signed a

statement In the north Bosnian town of Banja Luka saving they would obey only Mladic.

Karadzic's own survival Is now In doubt after three years as "president" of the Bosnian Serb republic he proclaimed to fight Bosnia s Muslim and Croat-led independence.

Mladic, the most successful general of the conflict in Croatia and Bosnia since former Yugoslavia fell apart, waved away his dismissal, saying he would stay "as long as the fighters and the people express support for me."

The declaration of loyalty said: the BSA generals decided (Karadzic s) decision is wrong (and) would have unforeseeable consequences for our people, struggle and the army."