Mujkić at Circle 99: BiH Must Rely on Itself in Defense Against Retrograde Forces from Croatia and Serbia

(Patria) - Professor of Security Studies Edin Mujkić from the School of Public Service at the University of Colorado was the keynote speaker at a regular session of the Association of Independent Intellectuals "Krug 99" held on the topic "BiH Facing Global, Regional, and Local Security Challenges and Threats".

He emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing increasing geopolitical, regional, and local security challenges and that the guarantee of its survival and development cannot be the help of the international community, but rather investment and strengthening of its own institutions.

"The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a geopolitical earthquake that affects BiH through a change in American policy towards Serbia primarily, and then through the appeasement of many right-wing leaders in Europe for the sake of unity in the fight against Putin's Russia. However, such a policy will inevitably have its victims," Mujkić said.

He believes that the policies of Aleksandar Vučić and Serbia, and Andrej Plenković and Croatia, definitely show that Serbia and Croatia are trying to use this moment to achieve old and long-term goals at the expense of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"In addition to these threats, Russian propaganda, combined with real problems in the EU, especially when it comes to mass immigration and the energy sector, creates fertile ground for the spread of influence of far-right parties in the EU. Besides being pro-Russian, they are anything but democratic," Mujkić said.

Stressing that such an environment is a natural ally of retrograde forces from Serbia and Croatia, Mujkić stated that BiH must primarily rely on itself.

"However, all parties with the prefix 'pro-Bosnian' have failed in building the capacity that would enable BiH to resist current or potential future security threats. This primarily refers to building institutions as well as investing in human resources. At the local level, BiH has proven enormous institutional capacity. This year's tragic earthquake in Turkey proved that members of the GSS in BiH, despite all difficulties, lack of funds and equipment, can deploy the same number of people as large, developed countries. Strong institutional capacity at the local level is actually the foundation of every democratic society. However, various obstructions at the state and federal levels, as well as a lack of will and vision, obstruct the development of such institutions, even though they indicate enormous potential," he said.

Emphasizing that BiH must not rely on the help of the international community to protect its fundamental interest, sovereignty, and right to exist, Mujkić said that only investment and building its own institutions, as well as investing in human resources, can be a guarantee for overcoming current challenges and the survival of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"In such a situation, pro-Bosnian parties must develop institutions, i.e., the state where they can. If obstructions exist at the state and federal levels, then cantons must invest in institutions of state significance, on their own, or in coordination with other cantons. Only in this way will BiH be able to resist increasingly complex threats, whether they are local, regional, or global," Mujkić concluded.

The president of Krug 99, Adil Kulenović, emphasized that the seriousness of the situation is worrying and that it is high time to heed the warnings coming from NATO officials and friendly countries focused on stability and peace.

"Historical responsibility rests on the elites, whether intellectual, moral, political, or institutional, whom future generations will not forgive for their inertia in this time. Relying solely on the actions of international actors for moral or legal reasons is not a sufficient guarantee, nor a reliable path to gaining self-confidence and securing necessary alliances. A developed system of deterrence and prevention based on our own strengths, organization, education, and resources is the only reliable guarantee of success, as it has been many times in our past," Kulenović stated.