London sanctioned, Monday, April 11, two Bosnian Serb leaders, Milorad Dodik and Zeljka Cvijanovic. They were accused of destabilizing the country under the influence of Moscow. These sanctions were decided three months after those imposed by Washington for the same reasons.
The announcement was made by press release and published on the British government’s website. According to Foreign Minister Liz Truss, the two Bosnian Serb leaders, Milorad Dodik, a Serbian member of the Bosnian Tripartite Presidency and Zeljka Cvijanovic, deliberately weakened the hard-won peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Minister also added that their behavior, “ encouraged by President Putin; threatened the stability and security of the Balkans “.
Since the end of the war in bosnia which claimed nearly 100,000 lives between 1992 and 1995, the country is divided under the Dayton Peace Agreement into two entities, the Serbian Republic and a Croat-Muslim Federation, united by a central government. But in recent months, tensions have been rising with Milorad Dodik, who is trying to provide the Serbian Republic of Bosnia with its justice, its tax authorities and its army, raising fears of a breakdown of the country, or even a new conflict.
The two leaders will therefore have their assets frozen in the United Kingdom and a ban on coming to British territory. With these sanctions, the Minister of Foreign Affairs says she wants to show that the enemies of peace will be held responsible for the situation.
Accusations of wanting to dismantle the Dayton peace accords
The high representative of the international community in Bosnia, Christian Schmidt, responsible for ensuring compliance with the Dayton agreement, reacted by declaring that the two Serbian leaders ” must bear the consequences of their words and actions “. ” The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina are not negotiable “, he added in a press release.
A former ally of the West who has become fiercely pro-Russian, Milorad Dodik was hit in early January with new sanctions from Washington, in addition to previous ones imposed in 2017. The United States accuses him of “ threaten the stability of Bosnia and the Western Balkans by its corrupt activities ” and his ” attempts to dismantle the Dayton Peace Accords “. Milorad Dodik has also strongly criticized in recent weeks the Bosnian ambassador’s vote in favor of resolutions against Russia because of its war in Ukraine, saying that Sarajevo’s position had not been decided by the collegial presidency.
►To read: The war in Ukraine rekindles all the tensions in the Balkans
(with AFP)