ASV may impose sanctions on entities that try to unilaterally withdraw from Bosnia’s state institutions or destabilize the Dayton Peace Agreement, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina is in a political crisis over the separatist ambitions of a state-run Serb-led entity. These ambitions have been fueled by fears that the Dayton Accords, which led to a military conflict in the 1990s, could disrupt and threaten regional stability, according to Radio Free Europe / Radio Freedom (RFE / RL).
“As witnesses to the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), the United States reiterates that unilateral withdrawal from state institutions or [mēģinājumiem] as otherwise destabilizing the DPA, appropriate action will be taken, including consideration of sanctions, “Blinken said in a letter to members of the Bosnian tripartite presidency.
The Dayton Peace Agreement divided Bosnia into two autonomous regions, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska. The Bosnian federation is dominated by Bosnians (Bosnian Muslims) and Croats, while the Republika Srpska is dominated by Serbs.
The country has a tripartite presidency, which is responsible for foreign affairs, diplomatic and military affairs, as well as the budget of state-level institutions. Each member of the rotating presidency represents its own ethnic group, one being a Bosnian Muslim, the other a Croatian, and a third a Serb.
Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, the Serb representative of the tripartite presidency, has threatened to resign from state-level institutions, including Bosnia’s joint judicial, military and tax administration. He has rejected international fears that such steps could lead to a new conflict in the Balkans.
In his letter, Blinken said that undermining Bosnia’s institutions would not only jeopardize the country’s European perspective – that is, its goal of joining the European Union one day – but also undermine regional stability. He called on all parties to return to the negotiating table and reach a consensus among the groups living in the country.
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