Senator Murphy: RS leadership is leading the Balkans into conflict, time for stronger US engagement

SARAJevo, (Patria) - US Senator Chris Murphy commented on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, warning that the disintegration of the country could easily lead to a return to war in the Balkans and that it is time for the US to get involved in this issue.

"All eyes are currently on Ukraine, but a new crisis is developing nearby," Murphy wrote on Twitter, warning that "the increased separatist rhetoric of Bosnian Serbs" poses a threat to peace in the Balkans.

"This Tuesday marks 26 years since the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia signed the Dayton Peace Agreement, ending years of ethnic war after the breakup of Yugoslavia. 26 years of fragile, but hard-won peace in the Balkans," he stated, adding that a quarter of a million people were killed in the fighting, another two million were forced to leave their homes, and thousands were massacred and raped during ethnic cleansing.

Murphy explains that, in order to maintain peace in BiH, it was agreed that power in the country would be shared between Bosnian Serbs and Croats, and Bosniaks.

"In order to maintain peace in the new country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, power was to be shared between Bosnian Serbs and Croats, and Bosniaks. A divided government never really worked, and tensions between these groups are rising," he wrote.

"A new crisis has arisen due to the efforts of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to effectively secede Serb-dominated parts of the country, creating a separate military, judicial, and tax system. Putin has encouraged him in this," Murphy stated.

"The disintegration of Bosnia could easily lead to a return to war in the Balkans. This would be a catastrophe, and it is time for the US to engage more strongly, with a mix of stick and carrot strategy (and a lot of good old-fashioned presence)," he concluded.