There is no indication that Serb members of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Armed Forces will leave their positions if Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik is convicted, according to Bosnia’s Minister of Defense, Zukan Helez.
His statement comes in response to Dodik’s remarks over the weekend on RT Balkan, where he claimed that if convicted, RS would unilaterally withdraw its Serb representatives from state-level police and military institutions and establish its own system.
Dodik is currently on trial for refusing to implement decisions of the High Representative, with a verdict expected on Wednesday, February 26.
Minister Helez emphasized that anyone who fails to report to work without a justified reason will face dismissal. Meanwhile, the Mayor of East Sarajevo, Lubisha Qosiq, a senior member of Dodik’s SNSD party, stated that discussions about Serb officials resigning from these institutions have not yet taken place.
The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), Bosnia’s main law enforcement agency, was established in 2002, while the Armed Forces were formed in 2006 following defense reforms. Any mass resignation from these institutions could have significant implications for Bosnia’s stability.
