Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said the reactions to his statement that an army unit based in Banja Luka should wear the uniform of the wartime Bosnian Serb army next year represent “hysteria” and he challenged his Croat colleague to go ahead and sue him.
Dodik, who is currently the Chairman of the tripartite Presidency, spoke at an event organised to mark the (wartime) Army of Republika Srpska (RS) and the Third Infantry Regiment in the northwestern city of Banja Luka on Sunday and urged the Regiment, which is formally part of Bosnia’s Armed Forces, to wear the uniforms of the Army of RS at the ceremony next year.
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The Army of Republika Srpska is the wartime army of the Serb-dominated part of the country which fought against Bosniak and Croat forces. It disappeared when Bosnia’s leaders decided to melt all armed forces in Bosnia into one.
Dodik said that the “hysteria” over his statement is based upon nothing other than a goal to incite unrest in Bosnia’s internal situation. He said he never asked Bosniaks or Croats to wear the RS Army uniforms, but only Serbs.
“A uniform is also part of a tradition. The Army of Republika Srpska insignia are also on the uniforms of the Third Infantry Regiment and I don’t see what the hysteria is all about,” he said.
His Croat colleague in the tripartite Presidency, Zeljko Komsic, said he will sue Dodik.
“I call upon Komsic to be true to his word and report me for inciting a mutiny. I expect nothing less from a Golden Lilly,” Dodik said, referring to Komsic being a recipient of the Golden Lilly, the highest honour awarded by the Bosnian Army Komsic fought for during the 1992-95 war.
“If Komsic fought in the so-called Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it means he fought against the Army of Republika Srpska and it is clear where his trauma comes from,” Dodik said.
He said those who criticise his statements and base their criticism on the Dayton Peace Agreement should first read the document, as it does not mention the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Indeed, the peace agreement that ended Bosnia’s war contains the country’s Constitution which defines that Bosnia has two armies, the Bosnian Serb one and another one made of Bosniaks and Croats.
That, however, was revised by Bosnia’s Parliament which melted the two into one army in 2005.
