Bosnian Serb Leader Dodik Vows Secession if Banned from Political Activity

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has threatened that Republika Srpska will secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina if the Bosnian judiciary bans him from political activities. In an interview on Republika Srpska's RTRS television, Dodik stated that if such a decision is made, the parliament of Republika Srpska would immediately take steps to declare independence and hold a referendum on the matter.

This statement comes as the Bosnian prosecutor's office has filed charges against Dodik for not adhering to the decisions of the international community’s high representative, Christian Schmidt. Should he be found guilty, Dodik could face up to five years in prison.

The anniversary of January 9, 1992, marks the day when Bosnian Serbs declared independence, aiming to join Serbia, a move that led to a brutal war claiming the lives of 100,000 people. In the wake of the conflict, the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement established Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state divided into two semi-autonomous entities—Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Republika Srpska, largely made up of Bosnian Serbs, operates its own government and institutions, while Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole shares common state-level bodies, including a judiciary, military, and tax administration.

The Bosnian Constitutional Court has ruled on three occasions that Republika Srpska Day, celebrated on January 9, is unconstitutional, a decision which has been a point of contention between Dodik and the judicial authorities.

Source:

• Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)
• RTRS