Bosnian Serbs are ‘mentally’ in Serbia, their leader says

SManalysis

Celebrations are due to mark 32 years since Bosnian Serbs proclaimed a “republic” deemed anti-constitutional by both Bosnia’s central government and the OSCE

January 10, 2024 08:46 am | Updated 08:47 am IST - Banja Luka

AFP

Bosnian Serbs are already “mentally integrated” into Serbia and would gladly support independence from Bosnia, their political leader Milorad Dodik said ahead of a controversial “national holiday”.

Celebrations are due on Tuesday to mark 32 years since Bosnian Serbs proclaimed a “republic” deemed anti-constitutional by both Bosnia’s central government and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Three months after the proclamation of their republic — Republika Srpska — on January 9, 1992, an inter-ethnic war broke out in Bosnia, claiming around 1,00,000 lives.

“We do not want to stay here,” Mr. Dodik, President of Republika Srpska , said on Monday.

Mr. Dodik’s repeated secession threats have raised international concerns.

Two entities

Since the 1992-1995 war, Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises of two semi-independent entities — the mostly-Orthodox Christian Serbs’ Republika Srpska, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, made up of mostly-Muslim Bosniaks and mostly-Catholic Croats. The two are linked by a weak central government while in the post-war years, under international pressure, Bosnia got an army, plus common tax and justice systems. Mr. Dodik has been threatening his entity’s secession ever since he started to dominate Bosnian Serb politics in 2006.

‘No doubts’

On Monday, he claimed to have no doubts that Bosnian Serbs want independence, but due to “still fresh memories of the war” are hesitant to make the move.

“But I’m completely certain that people understand what it’s all about. “If at a decisive moment they would be offered a platform of independence, the people would support it”.

“We are mentally integrated with Serbia. Of course, we are part of Bosnia now, but that’s because we have to be. It is not something we want,” Mr. Dodik said. Bosnian Serbs make around one third of Bosnia’s population of 3.5 million, according to the latest census.