The international community created both Dayton and Dodik, and cares about neither!

By Delvin Kovač

The Vice-President of the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) Igor Crnadak, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the predecessors in that position of one of the leaders of the three political parties that have deluded themselves into thinking they are an important factor in decision-making in the federal and state government - Elmedin Konaković (NIP), while a guest on Federal Television's Rezime, stated what is very likely well known to everyone who is even slightly politically literate in the Republika Srpska entity.

- The people in RS are aware of everything we have in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the region, and on the world stage. They are aware of how much RS gained in Dayton. That international verification of RS within Bosnia and Herzegovina is invaluable. People here are not ready to gamble and play with that - said Crnadak, commenting on the announcements of the SNSD and RS President Milorad Dodik about secession. He assessed the claims of his fierce political rival that Dayton is "dead" as an absolute stupidity.

Although with his next words that "RS literally has the status of a state within a state," Crnadak actually told us that neither he, nor those who uphold PDP or SDS policies, differ from Dodik in any significant way regarding their attitude towards the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Let us recall, for example, how the "courageous" Mayor of Banja Luka, PDP member Draško Stanivuković, garnered sympathy from the naive part of the Bosnian public in the larger BiH entity with his statements and announcements of a new "fight for Bosnia and Herzegovina," and was warmly welcomed by citizens in the heart of our country's capital - in Baščaršija, some of them even with tears in their eyes. Only for Stanivuković to then stab them in the back by glorifying Chetnik ideology and denying genocide.

Of course, there is also the former PDP member Jelena Trivić, who also became a favorite Serbian politician in the Federation of BiH, until she too showed her true colors by supporting the "patriotism" of the World War II war criminal Draža Mihailović.

If Dodik truly believes that Dayton is "dead" and that the agreement no longer exists, according to some analysts, experts, and politicians, then we are returning to the factual situation before Dayton - the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Except that none of the aforementioned have explained how, nor offered their own vision of returning to the previous state, in which entities did not exist.

Without a blitzkrieg, like the September one in Nagorno-Karabakh, about which my colleague Rasim recently wrote, it is difficult to imagine any other feasible scenario. Because the international community that created both Dayton and Dodik no longer cares about either Dayton or Dodik.

The United States and its President Joe Biden are preoccupied with the East - Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Middle East - providing wholehearted support to the already powerful Israel in terrorizing innocent Palestinians in Gaza, and the Far East - preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

The European Union cannot even cope with its internal turmoil, so a few days ago it again showed us a "red light" for the start of membership negotiations. Although, to be fair, led by incompetent authorities - the Trojka, Dodik, and Čović - we did not deserve it.

And NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not give us any reason to think that we could expect to join the select group, like Ukraine, among whom are our neighbors Croats and Montenegrins, through "connections".

Crnadak would gladly tell Dodik to follow the Montenegrin saying - "sit where you are, you're not good for anything." In translation - Mile, guard what you have, because we could lose even that. Just as Mile's long-time coalition partner Dragan Čović told MPs in the National Assembly of RS in February 2022. But Mile does not falter, nor give up. Emboldened by support from the Kremlin and relying on the support of Vučić's Serbia, Mile announces that secession has never been closer and more realistic. But he likely realizes that there will be no peaceful separation, whatever that may entail. Therefore, he is left to play the cards of a turbulent separation, and we all know very well what that entails.

(Pro)Bosnian patriotic forces still lack a concrete answer and a well-thought-out strategy. And how could they, when those who call themselves (pro)Bosnian - the Trojka - have embraced ministerial seats, neglecting everything that true struggle for Bosnia and Herzegovina means. Although at least one of them, the highest one, who uses every opportunity to boast about his involvement in the war from 1992-1995 as a minor fighter of the Army of RBiH, should know very well what he went through in the trenches. And what Dodik's final decision on secession would actually mean - a new inevitable bloody war, new bloodshed, new refugees, new destroyed buildings, houses, mosques...

We have already seen all this orchestrated by Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić. But there should be no doubt that Dodik's intentions are similar. However, Bosnians and Herzegovinians have already shown that they cope best when things are most difficult - although Dodik should be aware that they are now even more prepared than during the time of the aggression directed by the aforementioned war criminals. Bosnian patriots stood up to Karadžić and Mladić, supported by the powerful Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), and they will stand up to Dodik, even if he is supported by Vladimir Putin and Aleksandar Vučić. Mile, what are you waiting for, get going already!