Nevesinje today marked the 150th anniversary of the Herzegovina Uprising, an event organized by the Government of the Republika Srpska entity and the Government of Serbia. The commemoration, known as the “Nevesinje rifle,” was leveraged to deliver strong political messages.
Dodik Reiterates Unification Goal
Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, once again declared the unification of Republika Srpska with Serbia as the ultimate goal and desire. He criticized what he called a continuation of Austro-Hungarian policy.
“We must know what our national and state goals are. I do not hide the fact that our historical goal should have been the unification of the Serb Republic and Serbia, our two states. Why are we not allowed to say this? Why are all others allowed to have plans, and we are not allowed to have them? Why do all others think life would be better if there was no Serb Republic and no Serb people? And why do those from Sarajevo want us to live with them when they don’t love us and hate us so much and want to take something from us every day? We don’t want to live with them either. What’s the problem?” Dodik stated.
Serbian Official Criticizes Protests, Calls for Unity
Milos Vučević, the envoy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, criticized the ongoing protests in Serbia, asserting that unity is essential to save “Serbdom and Serbia” from, as he put it, “degenerate generations.”
“These are those for whom the plenum is above the law, who would choose secular and spiritual authorities on the streets and under the blackmail of blockades. These are those for whom the support of a foreign country is above the support of the homeland. These are those who tell us that we will only be better off when we cease to exist, because as we are, we are not good,” Vučević declared.
Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Emphasizes “Serbian Unity”
Also in attendance was Andrija Mandić, the Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament, who echoed sentiments of “Serbian unity.”
“Today, we stand here in unity, Republika Srpska, Montenegro, and Serbia. This brotherhood is a promise that, despite all challenges, we will know how to defend what we inherited from our great ancestors,” Mandić concluded.
