A series of protests that the Bosnians living abroad are organising in the capital cities across the world resume on Monday, with the organisers warning about the political tensions in the country that they fear might escalate in an armed conflict. In addition to the planned rallies, the organisers also addressed the world leaders, stressing that “a meaningful, robust, and coordinated response” is required.

In a lengthy letter they sent to dozens of leaders including US President Joe Biden, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and others, the organisers announced protests in Brussels, London, Munich, Sidney, New York, Rome and many other cities all over the world, to express “utmost concern about the current political and security crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

The letter recalls of the events from 2021 when the entity parliament of Bosnia's Serb-majority region Republika Srpska adopted a plan to create what it called “an independent RS within the Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina,” which laid out concrete steps for unilateral, illegal, and unconstitutional takeover of state-level competencies in fiscal, judicial, defense, security, and many other areas.

“The plan's implementation will cause a collapse of the constitutional and institutional architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It will result in terrible political, economic, and security consequences. With several concrete steps already taken, the ruling coalition in the RS has made it clear that it intends to implement its plan,” the concerned citizens gathered in the ‘Platform BiH’ movement, reminding that the entity parliament also adopted conclusions on transfer of competencies from the state to entity level in the sectors of the judiciary, defence and security, as well as indirect taxation.

“The actions mentioned above and decisions of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska from 10 December 2021 are an illegal usurpation of state power and a criminal act against state constitutional and legal order,” the letter underlined.

According to the authors of the letter, the crisis in BiH has nothing to do with inter-ethnic relations but is an “artificial crisis provoked by corrupt nationalists and partners.”

“They do not have the support of the opposition in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska nor of the majority of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including those living in the RS. The country has now been drawn into a political crisis that threatens peace. A meaningful, robust, and coordinated response by the High Representative of the International Community, Christian Schmidt himself, United Nations, United States, Canada, the European Union, and its NATO allies is require,” they stressed.

The letter noted that a lack of response only encouraged Serb leader Milorad Dodik and his ambitions.

N1 (screenshot)

N1 (screenshot)

“Particularly worrying are statements by government officials in Serbia, who have expressed their support for the ruling coalition's plan in RS. Alongside this, the RS secessionists enjoy the bolstering backing of Russia, China, and even some EU member states such as Hungary, whose open nationalism, xenophobia, and anti-Muslim sentiment are rampant. Instead of pushing back, some in the international community only encourage Mr. Dodik's aspirations for secession and desire to undermine and eventually destroy Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign state.”

In the final announcement of the protests in major capital cities around the world, the organisers issued demands and asked High Representative Valentin Inzko, EU, UK, US and NATO allies to take steps and prevent further spreading of crisis.

Among other proposals, they suggest the RS ruling coalition's plans to be recognises as “an attack on the long-lasting peace, constitutional order, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and 30-year independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and as a threat to peace, stability, and security in the Western Balkans and Europe.”

They also suggest a “meaningful, robust, and coordinated response” as a mix of interventions, starting with sanctions and strengthening the NATO/EUFOR military presence as a clear political signal.”

Finally, they also call for steps that would suspend the succession talks with Serbia, as the “recent statements and activities by high-ranking officials of the government of the Republic of Serbia are violating the principle of good neighborly relations.”