Bosnian Serb leader says only solution for country is either a new agreement or separation

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said Thursday that the only viable solution for Bosnia and Herzegovina is either a new political agreement or separation, as the country remains deeply divided.

Speaking in a special program on Radio and Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS), Republika Srpska (RS) Dodik claimed that Bosniaks seek a unitary Bosnia, Serbs believe their autonomy has been taken away, and Croats have been politically marginalized, while the international community remains frustrated by the lack of progress.

Dodik asserted that RS remains stable and peaceful, arguing that the Dayton Agreement created a divided Bosnia from the moment it established entity borders. He announced that RS authorities will gradually reclaim competencies that he claims belong to them by passing laws in the RS National Assembly.

The RS leadership has defended its position amid legal and political tensions

The Speaker of the RS National Assembly, Nenad Stevandic, said the RS leadership remains united, dismissing High Representative Christian Schmidt’s authority.

“Unlike Schmidt, we decide together here – the government, the National Assembly. And who does he have behind him?” he said.

Stevandic, along with Dodik and RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic, faces an arrest warrant issued by Bosnia’s Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly committing the criminal offense of an “attack on the constitutional order.”

Despite this, Stevandic said that he recently returned from Serbia without issue, claiming that police officers saluted him upon his return.

He also noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s border service avoided confrontation, emphasizing that RS officials are “protected persons” under the RS Ministry of Interior.

RS officials reject accusations of security threats.

The Chairperson of the Presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic, asserted that the world understands Bosnia’s political disputes but accused Bosniak politicians of framing the situation as a security issue.

“We are handling our responsibilities normally, while threats are coming from political Sarajevo,” Cvijanovic said, claiming that Bosniak leaders are attempting to achieve through politics what they could not gain through war.

She also criticized High Representative Schmidt, arguing that his role “has become problematic throughout the world.”

RS Prime Minister Viskovic dismissed the legal proceedings against him, saying that he is not afraid to visit the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina but does not want to expose himself to security risks.

He added that RS remains economically stable, continues to meet its financial obligations, and will soon increase salaries for public sector employees.

-Cvijanovic to meet President Erdogan amid Bosnia’s political crisis

As Bosnia’s political crisis deepens, Cvijanovic is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Türkiye on Saturday.

The visit comes just a week after Presidency member Denis Bećirovic also traveled to Istanbul for a meeting with Erdogan.

During that closed-door discussion on March 14, Erdogan emphasized that Bosnia’s unity and territorial integrity are of “fundamental importance,” warning that separatist approaches in the country are unacceptable.

-Growing political uncertainty in Bosnia

Dodik’s comments, coupled with the RS leadership’s defiant stance and ongoing legal proceedings against its officials, add to the political instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As RS pushes to reclaim competencies and challenges the authority of the High Representative and international actors including Türkiye engage in diplomatic efforts, uncertainty over the country’s future continues to grow.