Dubious role of the international community in 'stormy' Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Rasim Belko

From the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia to the current Bosnia and Herzegovina ruled by anarchy and fear, the international community has played suspicious moves and played dangerous games. Sometimes openly, other times – from afar.  

Solutions for peaceful dissolution of BiH were being created, maps were being drawn, and plans were being made. Every such process from the beginning of the nineties was run by diplomats, servicemen and lobbyists of the international community.   

Photographs and video recordings of such behavior of the international community have spread around the world. Bosnian rivers turned blood red, and wounds would not heal for generations after. Inconsistency and dubious plans of the world community continued during the war. The Victim was tied down by embargo, while the Perpetrator was let to wreak havoc and test out the power of their weapons.

The result of such politics of the world powers is the GENOCIDE followed by numerous war crimes, rape, ethnic cleansing, death camps, urbicide...

As the Victim managed to defend themselves in spite of tied hands, and began to liberate their homes, another hypocritical action by the international power men followed. The Dayton happened. Peace negotiations and the Peace accord. The war was halted. Actually, what was primarily halted was advancing of the RBiH Army when it became stronger than those who wanted to divide Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

The war was ended but only in terms of an armed conflict.

Everything else remained the same. Same enemies and disagreements. The politics that wants to divide BiH hasn't died, it has only changed the game leading to the same goal. The politics endorsed by the same international community which, during the Peace agreement negotiations, gave one whole entity exclusively to one nation through its name 'The Republika Srpska'.

From the Peace agreement to the labyrinth of European and NATO integrations, Bosnia and Herzegovina spent almost two and half decades. Elections, negotiations, talks. New agreements and new deceits. In addition to irresponsible politics and kleptomaniac elites, Bosnia and Herzegovina has seen a number of foreign officials masked as high representatives.

The Office of the High Representatives has seen different heads and even more different policies. Considering all those heads, one may conclude that the office has fulfilled its purpose only once; late Paddy Ashdown was the only one who used his statutory powers to discipline our politicians, and who thought that the politics should serve the society and bring about better life for BH citizens. He advocated for a modern and progressive BiH which was the reason why quite a few did not like him.

All the others (high representatives) have either slept through their mandates or only thought about personal gain.

One of the former high representatives, the current chief of Slovak diplomacy Miroslav Lajcak keeps interfering in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. When recently Lajcak gathered in Bratislava leaders of two BH nations, justifying his move as the interest of BiH, Valentin Inzko did nothing other than expressing his concern. There are speculations that Lajcak also makes money by lobbying, which may not be far from the truth. The question is what then motivates sleepy Inzko not to react, not even in situations when fragile peace is jeopardized.  

Bedazzled by the most authentic local produce, Inzko has forgotten that the Bonn powers are used every time the peace, state or the Peace agreement are threatened.

And what is denying of the international and national verdicts but attack on the system.

The European leaders say that it is all up to BH politicians. Perhaps it is only logical to let them have the first round, but if two decades have not been enough for them to reach an agreement, what else can we expect?

The politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been for years consisted of conflicts and disagreements. Over the past few years, the forces which consider BiH 'mission impossible' have come together trying to draw a new map, again for one-nation only. Those forces embodied in Milorad Dodik and Dragan Covic use every opportunity to slow down the modest progress that BiH has been making.

Opposite to them is Bakir Izetbegovic who in principle advocates for a successful and modern state, however, he is not equal to the games played by the duo. Therefore, his lack of action only adds to the risk of dissolution of the country.

BH political 'beasts' are also teased by the regional centers of power which in their public appearances express their support for BiH, while in their international action they attempt to keep control over all political processes in Sarajevo.

Zagreb keeps trying to prove their slanderous statement about BiH as a terrorist nest and therefore a risk for Europe. At the same time, navigating Milorad Dodik helps Belgrade to make harder the road to the NATO for a country in almost war status. Neither Zagreb nor Belgrade have given up on the Karadjordjevo agreement – they have only changed the method.

And while puppets of Belgrade and Zagreb are destroying Bosnia and Herzegovina from within, the European Union and the NATO expect the country in such a state to carry out the reforms on its own so it can eventually join both blocs.

It is hard to believe that the EU and NATO leaders are not aware that Serbia and Croatia aim to keep BiH as far as possible from these two organizations. Because, the moment when BiH comes near or joins the EU and NATO, the plans of Zagreb and Belgrade to dismantle BiH will become the past. Where they belong.