US exploring options to send troops to BiH, NSRS on course to produce conflict in the state

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Derek Chollet, senior adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, spoke to the Guardian ahead of a special session of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska where deputies will vote on whether the entity should begin the process of withdrawing from the army, judiciary and tax system of BiH.

“Such steps, called for by nationalist leader Milorad Dodik, would represent a significant step towards secession. There will likely be a six-month waiting period before the assembly's decisions take effect, but the vote could start the clock ticking towards a possible return to conflict,” the article states.

It is noted that Chollet visited BiH last month as part of the Biden administration’s “diplomatic offensive” to address long-standing problems and threats by Milorad Dodik to establish an RS army.

“We really tried to step up some of our diplomatic efforts to try to walk back from the cliff,” Chollet told the Guardian, adding that 26 years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, BiH is talking about a potential return to conflict or a major crisis, “which deeply concerns us.”

The article states that the RS Army carried out ethnic cleansing in BiH during the war, the siege of Sarajevo that lasted nearly four years, and the destruction of Srebrenica, a United Nations “safe zone.”

Chollet said he delivered a letter from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Bosnian leaders, emphasizing that peace in BiH is a priority for the administration.

“This is an issue that many people in this administration, from President Biden on down, have long been associated with and personally feel strongly about,” he said.

Blinken’s letter also contains a threat of sanctions against political leaders who threaten peace in BiH, and Dodik, “the main target of that threat,” said he does not care about sanctions. However, Chollet stated that he believes they can still have an impact.

“I think we have seen some evidence that the leverage we have, which includes policies like sanctions, can be effective in shaping behavior,” he said.

Regarding the possibility of strengthening the international military presence in BiH, currently only a few hundred EU soldiers, Chollet said he did not want to comment in advance but stated that they are “exploring all options.”