Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Bogdan Kish
[REGNUM] Despite the fact that almost 30 years have passed since the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this tragic page of history threatens to repeat itself. Internal contradictions, unresolved issues and outside interference are pushing one of the poorest countries in Europe towards a new war. Republika Srpska Day, which is widely celebrated on January 9, has once again shown that even after almost three decades, society in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has not forgotten old grievances and remains divided along national and religious lines.
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Bosnia consists of two entities - the Republika Srpska (RS) and the Muslim-Croat Federation of BiH (FBiH). This territorial structure smooths the corners a little, since the entities are actually states within a state and try to interact as little as possible. However, the normal functioning of BiH is almost impossible, since representatives of the Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks cannot find a common language on many issues.
Republika Srpska traditionally takes a pro-Russian position - against NATO and anti-Russian sanctions. The BiH Federation is traditionally the opposite. And such disagreements naturally affect the functioning of the country.
Separately, it is worth noting the intervention of the collective West in the internal affairs of the Federation, since the Republika Srpska is the main obstacle on the Euro-Atlantic path of BiH.
REPUBLIC DAY OR SECESSION DAY
On January 9, 1992, in Sarajevo, the Constitutional Assembly of the Serbian People of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a Declaration on the Proclamation of the Republic of the Serbian People of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby opposing the republic’s secession from Yugoslavia. Banja Luka celebrates this holiday annually, which is considered the founding day of the RS.
Considering the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian position of the entity, Republic Day became one of the many reasons for putting pressure on Banja Luka.
Back in 2015, the Constitutional Court of BiH decided that Republic Day does not comply with the Constitution of the Federation and cannot be considered an official holiday. However, the Republika Srpska made a “knight’s move”, since the RS parliament decided to boycott all decrees of the Constitutional Court.
“The Constitutional Court of BiH is officially a foreign political organization, whose decisions on the territory of Republika Srpska have no significance. They can sit as long as they want, all these foreigners, they do not exist for Republika Srpska,” said Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.
Everything that is decided in this court will be considered illegitimate until the law on the Constitutional Court is adopted.
To understand, the Constitutional Court is built on a 2+2+2+3 system, where two judges are Serbs, two are Bosniaks, two are Croats and three are foreigners from the EU. Naturally, this court is not objective and serves as another anti-Serbian instrument, having a numerical advantage of the “necessary” judges.
OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE
The Republika Srpska traditionally faces external pressure, and the US Embassy in Sarajevo could not stand aside during the Republic Day celebrations. However, the diplomatic mission was unable to figure out what to complain about about January 9, so the embassy stated that the problem was not in the celebration itself, but in the date, which coincides with St. Stephen’s Day.
“The problem is not the celebration as such, but the decision to celebrate it on January 9. Linking Republic Day to an Orthodox religious holiday contradicts a number of provisions of the Constitution of BiH, which prohibit discrimination,” the statement said.
It is noteworthy that previously the celebration of Republic Day and its coincidence with a church holiday did not interfere in any way with the United States, the EU, or Sarajevo. As does the celebration of BiH Independence Day on March 1 (which is celebrated only in FBiH), which also coincides with religious holidays.
Despite the statement of the US Embassy, the palm in terms of pressure on Banja Luka belongs to the illegitimate high representative of the EU Christian Schmidt.
The German politician is not recognized by Republika Srpska, Russia and China, since he did not receive a mandate from the UN Security Council. However, Schmidt has the support of the EU and the BiH Federation, so he continues to try to impose his decisions. In particular, in 2023, the politician said that “The Republika Srpska will not celebrate Republic Day in 2024.” However, his words remained just words, since Schmidt has no real power on the territory of the RS.
The illegitimate high representative even opened a criminal case against the President of the RS Milorad Dodik for failure to implement his decisions, but this is neither warm nor cold for Banja Luka, since his decrees, like the decisions of the Constitutional Court, are not recognized by the RS.
“The fake high representative is trying to maintain the false perception that he represents European values. He doesn’t represent anyone or anything,” Dodik wrote on his account on a banned social network.
It is worth noting that Christian Schmidt is actively trying to impose a property law on BiH.
According to the proposed law, all property of the entities will be transferred to Sarajevo. Banja Luka has repeatedly stated that the law violates the Dayton Peace Accords and is a “red line.” If accepted, the Republika Srpska will announce its withdrawal from BiH and its independence.
The main task of Christian Schmidt is the liquidation of the Republika Srpska, since the US and the EU are promoting the idea of a unitary BiH, supporting the Bosniaks. However, given that this task is impossible without a major ground and air military operation, Schmidt is trying to split society in BiH as much as possible, presenting the Republika Srpska as the main culprit in Dayton’s violation and accusing it of “separatism.”
Relations between the RS and the FBiH have practically reached the bottom, and this is a great “merit” of Christian Schmidt, who with his decisions is literally pushing Bosnia towards a new conflict. He is helped in this by various foundations, NGOs and embassies, which finance not only various “civil organizations”, but also radical elements of society, the number of which in FBiH has increased sharply in recent years.
FLIRTING WITH TERRORISTS
The problem of radicalization in BiH has been going on since the 90s of the last century, when the leader of Bosnian Muslims Alija Izetbegovic, who provoked the war in Bosnia, began to massively accept “help” from a number of terrorist groups from the Middle East. Despite the fact that according to Dayton, all radical elements were supposed to leave the country in 1995, many not only stayed, but also received Bosnian passports.
In recent years, this problem has again come to the fore, as the number of radical cells and closed communities, where Ministry of Internal Affairs officers do not even enter, is steadily increasing.
Republika Srpska Minister of Internal Affairs Sinisa Karan has repeatedly stated that Bosnia is very attractive to radical Islam, which is why the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs has a special department to combat extremism and terrorism. However, national institutions turn a blind eye to the problems, citing the Constitution and the freedom of citizens.
“It is a fact that previously many terrorist acts in the world were committed by people who were previously in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Such people see BiH as a good place from which they can act regarding Europe. All this shows that this country is very attractive to radical Islam. For years we have been warning that Wahhabi communities are forming in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and radical Islamists are seeking to impose their religion and laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is why political, religious and judicial institutions must respond,” Karan said.
However, there is no reaction from state institutions at the level of BiH.
Moreover, provocative statements inciting ethnic hatred by the clergy have become more frequent in the BiH Federation. In particular, at the beginning of 2023, the chief imam of the Majlis of the Islamic community, Amir Mahic in Kozarca, insulted all Serbs, calling the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava a fascist and the Serbian Orthodox Church a sect. The head of the Islamic community of BiH, Husein Kavazovic, supported Amir Mahic, and then called on the Bosniaks to arm themselves, which caused fears in the Republika Srpska.
Similar provocative speeches were echoed by other figures.
For example, Muhamer Štlanović, a professor at the Islamic Faculty in Bihac, called the Republika Srpska “a genocidal spawn, born on January 9.” And a senior imam in the administration of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Harun Hodzic, speaking at a religious lecture in Zenica in December 2023, said that every Muslim child should learn to use weapons, and retired demobilized soldiers of the BiH army should be involved in hunting associations, and shooting clubs should be turned into army formations.
The list goes on and on, but the essence is clear: these figures have nothing to do with religion and serve only to radicalize society with financial support from abroad. However, the authorities of the Federation of BiH either do not understand this or do not want to understand what even the Grand Mufti of Serbia Mustafa Jusufspahic spoke about.
“When my father asked Patriarch Paul: if my man kills your two, and your man kills my two, then what will be the result? The Patriarch answered - 2:2. No, my father said, 4:0 in favor of the shaitan and the one who wants to quarrel between us,” Yusufspakhich once said.
The difficult economic situation, internal strife, unlicked post-war wounds and flirting with the radical movements of one of the entities do not contribute to peace. Bosnia and Herzegovina, with enormous “help” from the West, is sliding into an abyss, where the easiest way out of the situation will be a new armed conflict, which, frankly, no one needs.
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