Inzko at UN Security Council: Dodik has until May or he will face travel ban to EU and UN member states!

(Patria) - Ambassadors of UN Security Council member states today heard the report of the High Representative in BiH Valentin Inzko on BiH for the period from April to October 15, 2020. The ambassadors welcomed the holding of elections in Mostar after 12 years.

The High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Valentin Inzko (Inzko) said that this month will mark the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, an agreement that has ensured 25 years of peace in BiH.

“Looking back, Dayton is a huge success because it brought peace to BiH, and an even greater success, given all the international disputes that remain unresolved for decades - such as the Middle East, the Caucasus, and others.

However, as it turned out, the Dayton Agreement - although it was also a solid framework for the future development of BiH - brought an imperfect peace. It is an undeniable fact that in BiH - also with the help of some politicians like Mr. Milorad Dodik - significant progress was made in the first decade after Dayton. You would recall that state symbols were adopted, a new common currency, common passport and flag, state anthem and national football league, common license plates to enable freedom of movement, an improved taxation system, judicial reforms were implemented, and common armed forces were established in a country where three armies previously fought each other, to name just a few examples.

Unfortunately, the international community made one major conceptual mistake during the implementation of the Dayton Agreement - we placed our trust in some politicians too early, and they exploited our goodwill to revive nationalist, divisive policies, especially since 2006. The lack of progress and real reforms, blockades of institutions at the state level, and recently at the Federation level have become the new norm in BiH. It is also normal, for example, the systemic discrimination of the so-called Others, citizens who do not declare themselves as belonging to constituent peoples. I mention this because there is very little willingness from some politicians to rectify this shameful discrimination, which concerns about 10 percent of citizens. 

The latest example of glorifying a war criminal is the request by the BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik on September 16, 2020, for the BiH Presidency to pay tribute and express "respect" to the convicted war criminal Momčilo Krajišnik, who died the day before, with a minute of silence. The same politician, Mr. Dodik, some time ago opened a student dormitory in Pale, near Sarajevo, in honor of the convicted war criminal Radovan Karadžić, who was sentenced to life imprisonment. Similarly, in the past, Dario Kordić, who served 12 years for war crimes, received a warm welcome upon his release organized by a political party, and a thanksgiving mass was celebrated for him in a Catholic church.

He reiterated his appeal to Dodik to change the name of the student dormitory in Pale and remove the honorary plaque.

"If he does not do so by the next Security Council meeting in May, he should face a travel ban to all European Union countries, and then to all United Nations member states," the High Representative stated.

There is no collective guilt for war crimes - there are no bad nations, only individual responsibility. But the biggest lesson is that those who choose to ignore or rewrite history, instead of accepting the truth, will not have a stable and prosperous future. And, as the current German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said just a few days ago, on October 28, in a significant speech, there is no place in the European Union for those who celebrate war criminals.

I wish I could report today that all parties in BiH are looking to the future and focusing on issues important for improving the lives of citizens, but I cannot say that is always the case. As you know, local elections will be held in the country in 10 days, and I fear that in some cases we will see the usual divisive rhetoric, rather than campaigns that look to the future.

Recently, Mr. Dodik, who is a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the leader of the main Serb party, said that BiH is a "wrong country." Well, of course, it is a wrong country when you reject everything and don't try to come together to fix it and constantly talk about leaving. Before that, Mr. Dodik threatened that Serbs and Croats would present their plan on how Bosnia and Herzegovina should function, and that if it were not accepted, they would "separate" from the country.

To be clear, Mr. Dodik is again talking about the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Needless to say, there is already a plan for how Bosnia and Herzegovina should function, and it is called the General Framework Agreement for Peace. There is no option for secession in the Agreement, nor is it possible to opt out of the Dayton Agreement. Such statements are irresponsible, unfounded, and show poor leadership. They also completely disregard the well-being and prosperity of citizens, as well as peace and stability in the region.

Given such rhetoric, I must acknowledge and thank the Council for re-approving the mandate of the European Union-led military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR ALTHEA, in fulfilling the main role of stabilizing peace in the military aspects of the General Framework Agreement for Peace. The continued presence of EUFOR is still necessary.

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom called for an end to the denial of the Srebrenica genocide and the glorification of war criminals. She welcomed the engagement of the High Representative.

The representative of Tunisia called for respect for the rule of law, reconciliation, and the undertaking of reforms that will move BiH forward.

The ambassadors called for an end to inflammatory rhetoric and respect for peace. Support was given for the continuation of the EUFOR ALTHEA mission.

The US Ambassador stated that numerous challenges still exist in BiH, some of which are corruption and insufficient implementation of the rule of law.

“We remember those who lost their lives in Srebrenica 25 years ago. May this never happen again to anyone, anywhere. It is necessary to ensure fair and democratic elections. BiH must remain on the course of EU and NATO integration. Security, stability, and prosperity should be the guiding principles. In the year when the 25th anniversary of Dayton is being celebrated, it is important to ensure further progress,” said the US representative.

Inzko received the ambassadors' support for his commitment to BiH and the efforts he is making. The ambassadors called for respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH. 

The Ambassador of Germany stated that he is concerned by the information that young educated people are leaving BiH.

“Although we have an example in Austria of a young person from BiH who is a minister, it would be wonderful to have young people in BiH who will serve their country. Another reason for frustration is the enormous corruption; I am also sad about the inability to investigate the murders you mentioned (Memić and Dragičević and the murder of police officers Adis Šehović and Davor Vujinović, op.a.). We welcome the work of the Constitutional Court of BiH; it is a very important instrument that enabled Dayton. We regret the verbal attacks and defamation of the Constitutional Court of BiH,” said the Ambassador of Germany.

The ambassadors called for ensuring democratic elections and stronger engagement from the international community.