RS secures Canadian lobbyists to target Israel and Saudi Arabia for secession agenda

In 2025, the RS government, acting through Mladen Filipovic, the head of its representative office in Austria, signed a contract with Canada-based lobbying firm Dickens & Madson (D&M). The firm is headed by Ari Ben-Menashe, an Iranian-born Israeli national who previously served ten years in Israeli military intelligence.

Under the agreement filed with the US Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Dickens & Madson committed to "strengthening the position of the RS with Milorad Dodik as its president." This pledge stands despite Dodik being stripped of his presidency following a conviction that resulted in a one-year prison sentence and a six-year ban from holding public office.

"The independence of the RS from Bosnia and Herzegovina is our ultimate goal," states the contract, dated September 6, 2025. The agreement stipulated an immediate upfront payment of $2,000,000 (approximately €1,835,000) to Ben-Menashe upon signing.

According to a compliance report filed by D&M and published by the Sarajevo portal Fokus, firm employees contacted the offices of both the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the President of Israel regarding RS independence. D&M stated that both governments maintain close ties with the region and planned to raise the issue with US officials, though D&M noted it was not directly involved in scheduling those discussions.

Legal bans and additional lobbying operations

Funding for Dickens & Madson was explicitly prohibited by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina due to contract provisions targeting the constitutional order of the country.

Ben-Menashe is one of several lobbyists engaged by Banja Luka. Earlier this week, attention focused on the US lobbying firm Continental Strategy, which employs Katie Wiles, daughter of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Ahead of the October 4 elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the firm sent two Republican campaign operatives to Banja Luka.

Reports indicate their presence was tied to gathering evidence regarding Smartmatic voting identification and recording devices, which are also utilized in US elections.