The main problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the wrong interpretation of the term ‘constituent peoples’ in the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, and this has produced a “hoax” that now serves to “liquidate the Bosnian state,” renowned writer, Abdulah Sidran, told N1 on Wednesday.

“One nation cannot be divided into those who have greater rights than others. It is a translation contrivance of an English term in the Dayton (peace agreement). It’s one thing to constitute but another to be a constituent, as it is written,” he said, arguing that the latter means to be part of a whole but that the term is being interpreted as if the three main ethnic groups in Bosnia have “constituted” the state.

According to Sidran, this is one of the problems that contribute to the wrong interpretation of the Bosnian Constitution.

“That is a hoax which leads to segregation, racism,” he stressed.

If one would interpret the Dayton Agreement this way, it would mean that BiH was created by that agreement, he explained, arguing that this is a “hoax that serves to liquidate the Bosnian state, which is more than 1,000 years old.”

Sidran expressed disappointment with Bosnia’s intellectuals who he said are not able to find a way to bring the international community to react to the situation in the country.

“The world will not help us until we put pressure on it to do so,” he said.

The writer also criticised Bosnia’s ‘neighbours’ Serbia and Croatia for first creating problems in Bosnia and then presenting themselves as the ones who want to help solve them, he said.

“Some believe that it is possible to build a modern society based on ethnonational foundations. That is not possible,” he said, arguing that this is completely different in the entire Western civilisation, where the society is based on the civic concept.

Sidran quoted a fictional character from his books, Nurija, saying “dear neighbours, a lot of our problems would disappear if you would just stop solving them.”

“If they would leave us alone for 10 years, we would beat them in sports, music, jazz, economy,” he said, adding that “the process of liquidation of the Bosnian state is underway.”