Dodik at a rally in Banja Luka: There will be no war, it is better for Muslims to stay home as General Mladić advised

Milorad Dodik, who spoke as a guest at the rally “Endangered Srpska – Decisive Response“ held on Tuesday, April 2, said that the Markale massacre was “attributed to the Serb side”, and that “many American officials built careers on that lie”, writes Detektor.

“When I met with some high-ranking Americans in Washington and told them that Markale was not something Serbs did, and that it was just an excuse and a deception for them to bomb us and impose sanctions on us, one of them, who was once a high envoy for the Balkans, told me: ‘Yes, you are right, but your problem is the following; here, 470 people have built their careers on that lie. You think you can defeat them, they won't lose their careers'“, said Dodik from the podium of Banski dvor.

Detektor has previously written about the denial of the Markale massacre. In two massacres, more than 110 people were killed and over 200 civilians were wounded at the Sarajevo market of Markale, which has been confirmed in at least four verdicts of the Hague Tribunal.

During the commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the Markale massacre, Dodik had previously stated that this crime was described with lies and that Serbs were falsely accused twice for it.

At the rally in Banja Luka, he also said that the story about Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić as criminals is a “planned agenda aimed against Serbs”.

“Part of all these things that go to say that Karadžić and Mladić and others are criminals – is absolutely part of the scenario. There is no evidence for that. They were convicted based on a collective undertaking conceived for Serbs. Joint criminal enterprise. That doesn't exist, it was done to Serbs for the first time“, said the President of Republika Srpska on April 2.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) sentenced Mladić, former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), and Karadžić, former president of Republika Srpska, to life imprisonment for genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Bosniaks and Croats, terrorizing the citizens of Sarajevo, and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.

At the rally, it was stated that Mladić sent a letter via Vlado Đajić, director of the University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska and president of the SNSD Banja Luka city board, when they visited with a medical team to assess his health condition while serving his sentence. In the letter, he greeted his comrades-in-arms.

“It would be better for Muslims to stay home. Džaja knows [Vlado Džajić]. When you were with Mladić, what did you ask him?”, said Dodik, who had previously spoken about conflicts, including with NATO.

Dodik stated that “it is clear that Republika Srpska is a state, created on January 9th”, and that his political goal is a “peaceful separation that will inevitably come one day”. He stated that there will be no war, but that it is better for “this side” not to cross into RS.

In January of this year, a criminal complaint was filed against Dodik for celebrating January 9 – Republika Srpska Day, which the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared unconstitutional.

Milorad Dodik also said that Republika Srpska, despite those who do not wish it well, also has numerous friends. He particularly emphasized his good relationship with Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin, the presidents of Hungary and Russia. As announced, Dodik will present Orbán with the Order of Republika Srpska on a necklace, which was awarded to him on January 9, during his official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled for tomorrow, April 4. This order was previously awarded to Putin, the president of the country that invaded Ukraine.

“Putin told me to call him whenever I need anything“, said Dodik, recounting to the attendees that he had agreed with Putin in a one-on-one meeting on the sale of the refinery in Brod, so that it would not “end up in American hands for one dollar”.

He also emphasized that Republika Srpska previously had good relations with the administrations of Republican US presidents, and that “Democrats” are continuing their mission to destroy this entity, which began in the nineties.

At the rally, it was also stated that the proceedings against him before the Court of BiH for non-compliance with the decisions of the High Representative are aimed at his political elimination. Darko Matijašević, president of the movement “Free Srpska“ and former Minister of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, said that he has information that Dodik is also threatened with physical liquidation.

“A quasi-judicial pseudo-legal procedure is underway in the Court of BiH, which is already taking on the characteristics of a precedent and is being studied in law faculties across Europe“, said Marko Romić, Dodik's advisor.

Dodik reiterated several times before the attendees that Christian Schmidt, as High Representative, has no legitimacy. He announced, as before, Schmidt's expulsion from Banja Luka.

He also announced that Republika Srpska will have elections according to its own law and with its own election commission, and that he “does not care that many have announced that they will not recognize such elections”.

Deputies of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska adopted the Draft Election Law, which stipulates that the Republika Srpska Election Commission will be responsible for elections for the levels of government in this entity, thus decentralizing the state Central Election Commission. At the previous session, representatives of the ruling coalition demanded that all decisions of the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, be annulled within seven days, which Detektor has written about.

Before that, the High Representative imposed a set of new amendments to the Election Law of BiH, which, among other things, relate to the introduction of ballot scanners, changes in the election of members of polling stations committees, and the prohibition of candidacy for persons convicted of war crimes and genocide.

The rally “Endangered Srpska – Decisive Response“ is one of a series of numerous rallies held in Banja Luka and other cities of Republika Srpska in the last month, organized by various “patriotic” organizations.