USA Imposes Sanctions on Four Officials from Republika Srpska
The U.S. State Department has announced the imposition of sanctions on four appointed officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) who facilitated the adoption of a law in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (RSNA) that undermines BiH's Constitution and the Dayton Accords appendix.
According to the American agency's statement, this new law, proposed by Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska in BiH, who is now on the U.S. sanction list, represents a brazen attempt to undermine state institutions. The law poses a threat to the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the country's prospects for integration into Euro-Atlantic and European institutions, all at the expense of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian people.
Christian Schmidt, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the highest authority in interpreting the Dayton Accords, publicly condemned the law as an unacceptable violation of the rule of law and an attack on the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite the High Representative's efforts to annul the law, Dodik went ahead and signed it, making it effective from July 7, 2023.
Today's decisions are based on previous U.S. sanctions and visa restrictions, which were imposed to promote accountability, peace, stability, and functional democratic governance in the Western Balkans region. The U.S. State Department stated that they will continue to support the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their efforts to strengthen the rule of law and ensure peace and prosperity.
The U.S. Treasury Department has applied sanctions on Nenad Stevandić, the President of the RSNA, Radovan Višković, the Prime Minister of the RSNA, Željko Cvijanović, a member of the BiH Presidency from the RSNA, and Milorad Dodik, the Minister of Justice of the RSNA.
According to the American agency, they are responsible for their involvement (either direct or indirect) in actions that obstruct any regional security, peace, cooperation, mutual recognition agreements, frameworks, or accountability mechanisms related to the Western Balkans, including the Dayton Accords.
Earlier, The Gaze reported that the European Union urged Republika Srpska (the Serbian territory in Bosnia) and Herzegovina to halt their provocative rhetoric and actions.
"The initiatives, laws, and proclamations of Republika Srpska that, as I understand, contradict the views of the European Union about the country, further isolate this entity from Europe," stated the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, after the meeting of the EU's Stabilization and Association Council. Borrell also added that if these actions continue, they "may have serious consequences." He called for an end to provocative and divisive rhetoric, including doubts about the country's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, as well as the glorification of convicted war criminals, stating that such activities have no place in Europe.