After the attack on Vučić: Inevitable changes in the security sector in BiH

The International Institute for Middle Eastern and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana, Slovenia, regularly analyzes events in the Middle East and the Balkans.

IFIMES, on the occasion of the physical attack on the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, during the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica on July 11, analyzes current events in the security sector in BiH and the much-needed personnel changes. From the analysis "Bosnia and Herzegovina: Inevitable changes in the security sector?".

The most important parts are reported by the news agency Patria

The physical incident with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, during the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica on July 11, raises numerous questions in the security sector that must be resolved.

If professional standards were respected, the heads of security and intelligence agencies at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entity of Republika Srpska should have resigned or already been dismissed. Even the current authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have not called on the agency directors to resign from their positions.

Investigations are being conducted by themselves against themselves

The formation of investigative and similar commissions will not yield results, as the matter is more than completely clear. The failures made by the security agencies are amateurish and/or intentional. Namely, escorting high international representatives, foreign delegations, heads of state and government through a corridor about 200 meters long through a crowd of 60,000 victims on the day of burial, and after months of political spin from Serbia and the entity of Republika Srpska, is equivalent to the highest level of crime.

It is unimaginable that security agencies could make such a mistake, and it is absurd that the same people are investigating themselves in this case. This is a catastrophic failure of the security agencies and the current authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Madly prepared protocol

Analysts even warn that the political scene in Bosnia and Herzegovina is actually a hostage of the most powerful security and intelligence agencies, not only from BiH but also from the region. It is simply impossible that no one from the security structures has come forward publicly and opposed such a mad protocol, which planned the passage of high officials directly through the gathered crowd just before the burial, a crowd that had been chanting against Vučić for a long time before the arrival of the high guests.

Security agencies from BiH are nationally and territorially networked, and there is absolutely no element that would support the thesis that this is some kind of plan and conspiracy, which has been disseminated for days by Serbian intelligence services through Serbian media.

Responsibility for the incident also lies with Serbia

The incident with Vučić has only shown that urgent purging of security structures in BiH at all levels is necessary. Of course, Serbian security agencies, which directly cooperated with the security agencies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, bear equal responsibility for the incident.

There was even a possibility to change Aleksandar Vučić's route shortly before the incident, before entering the Potočari/Srebrenica Memorial Center, because any professionally prepared security plan must include several options in case of a crisis situation or a threat to the protected person.

Serbian propaganda machine

Without an urgent reaction from the Bosnian-Herzegovinian authorities, the Serbian propaganda machine will continue to frantically spin the causes of the incident with Vučić. The incident is actually the final conclusion of Serbia's non-recognition of the genocide in Srebrenica, starting with the arrest of Naser Orić on a Serbian warrant, to Russia's veto of the British resolution in the UN Security Council.

All the actions listed were intended to minimize the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, and Vučić's arrival in Srebrenica was just the final act of genocide denial. Vučić has been intensively working on the non-recognition of the genocide in Srebrenica for the past month, and he appeared in Srebrenica knowing that his visit would be symbolic of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the genocide itself.

Security experts believe that for this reason, it is urgently necessary to arrest those responsible for the incident and, at the same time, carry out changes in the security sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entity of Republika Srpska.

Furthermore, the existing stalemate also favors future attacks on protected persons, especially those from the region who will come to Serbia, but also on everyone else. Unfortunately, in denying the genocide in Srebrenica and denying responsibility for the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serb political representatives refer to Jasenovac, Jadovno, Kravica, the murder of the Serb groom in Sarajevo, so there is a real danger that the incident with Vučić could be an "excuse" for Serbia to systematically endanger all those who oppose the denial of crimes and genocide and who fight for the truth.

The actual situation is the opposite of what is being presented in Serbia these days. Therefore, the first step of the BiH Presidency should be to invite Prime Minister Vučić to visit Sarajevo soon.

The incident with Vučić can be an excellent opportunity to implement police sector reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would lead to the creation of a professional and unified police force throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the existing police structure is outdated, inadequate, and ineffective.