For peace, we need wisdom instead of strength!

By Ernad Metaj

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Red berets in Banja Luka, green berets in Sarajevo and Bužim, as well as Ustasha symbols at the Partisan cemetery in Mostar, are taking us back to the nineties. Their songs and shouts are again reducing us exclusively to religious groups that are unable to emerge from the medieval narrative in which only the argument of force was recognized. Nothing is accidental, not even the rampage of the Chetniks who intimidated returnees to the RS, nor the messages of the "old Bosniak warriors" that this time everything would be different because, as they believe, the balance of power has changed compared to the nineties. All of this is orchestrated and serves the interests of the current authorities in both entities.

It is clear to everyone in BiH who wants war, the question is who wants peace and what they are willing to do to finally achieve it!? It is wrong to talk about a new war in BiH because the authorities have done everything to ensure that the one from the nineties never ends. It has only continued, with weapons temporarily put aside. The Balkans have always been a powder keg that can be ignited by a single spark, and sparks are flying everywhere. If it explodes again, nothing will be different; those who invoke it would continue to profit, and tears and blood would remain for the naive poor who agree to be fed by nationalism.

The opposition, unprepared to prioritize peace as the only alternative to the madness of the ruling structures, is once again doomed to defeat. Instead of raising their voices and working to unite all people who do not want war, and there are many of them among all three nations and others, the opposition is absurdly continuing to revolve exclusively within national enclaves. In doing so, they fit into the narrative that a friend of mine brilliantly described, comparing the current situation to a scene from the film "Kod amidže Idriza" (At Uncle Idriz's). A son chopping wood in the middle of summer, when his mother asks him why he is doing it when they don't need wood, replies, "Strength, mother, we need strength." If it wants good for itself, if it wants peace and prosperity in the country, the opposition must finally understand that in the current situation, we need wisdom, a lot of wisdom.

It also requires courage to pull the opposition out of the deep shade where only individuals from its ranks are well-fed with bones and crumbs left behind by the greedy government. It took courage for the opposition in the F BiH to say that the commemoration of war battles and victories in Krajina does not bother them, but that they do not support the folklore that once again gives stones to those who scare Europe with Islamic extremism. The opposition in the RS, when lacking the strength to distance itself from parades for the unconstitutional January 9th, could have condemned the rampage of the Chetniks and sent a message to Europe that fascism does have an alternative. Radical groups are instruments of power, and for both, profit is a common passion. It must also be learned that painting over Ustasha and fascist symbols in Mostar cannot hide the ideologies on which the government survives.

By distancing itself from this, the opposition misses the chance to finally offer itself to the EU as a credible partner that will build peace, which is all Europe cares about in the Balkans. The moment for this has never been more ideal, as the EU has finally mustered the strength to clearly identify the culprit for the situation in BiH and start talking about sanctions. The opposition and citizens have yet to understand that the lesson from the period 1992-1995 is not to be ready for a new conflict. On the contrary, Dayton showed that battles are won through diplomacy, negotiations, and signatures at the table. The wisdom and courage to accept something that is not to your liking saved BiH at the time and preserved its sovereignty and integrity.

Only the naive believe that the international community did not have readiness for other solutions then, and even now. Agreeing to "dance" again to the war drums could signal to the EU that everyone in BiH is the same, thus providing an alibi for reducing agreements on the future of BiH to the leaders of the three ruling parties and bypassing state institutions. It is time for the opposition to wake up and set peace as its platform in negotiations. For this, they need the support of people from all over BiH. The battle for the state is much more serious than the war between pop-rock and turbo-folk.