The United States and the European Union have called for the respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order amidst preparations by Serbian representatives to celebrate Republika Srpska Day, which has been declared unconstitutional, and warnings of potential secession from this entity.
The celebrations mark January 9, 1992, when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state, triggering a devastating four-year war that left over 100,000 dead.
Both the United States and the European Union emphasized that the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ruled on multiple occasions that celebrating Republika Srpska Day is unconstitutional, and that this ruling is grounded in the country’s laws.
Highlighting that all entities are required to fully respect the decisions of Bosnia’s institutions, including the binding and final rulings of the Constitutional Court, the U.S. Embassy stated that non-compliance with these rulings constitutes a criminal offense.
“The United States expects law enforcement authorities and the judiciary to take swift and decisive action to investigate any violations of the law regarding the celebration of Republika Srpska Day on January 9,” the U.S. Embassy stated in a press release.
Meanwhile, the European Union underscored the obligation to respect Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional order, including the rulings of the Constitutional Court, as well as the country’s international subjectivity.
“The EU calls on the political leadership of the Republika Srpska entity to refrain and distance itself from provocative and divisive rhetoric and actions, including questioning the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the country,” said a statement from the EU Delegation in Sarajevo, as reported by VOA.
The war in Bosnia ended in the fall of 1995 with a peace agreement brokered by the United States. The Dayton Agreement led to the creation of the Bosnian Serb and Bosniak-Croat entities in Bosnia, which remain loosely connected by weak central institutions.
Bosnian Serbs, however, seek to gain as much independence as possible. Pro-Russian nationalist leader Milorad Dodik has openly called for secession from Bosnia, defying U.S. and UK sanctions imposed on him due to his political stance.
Ahead of the unconstitutional celebrations, Dodik told the government-friendly television of the Serb entity that “it is the holy duty of Republika Srpska to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina…”
