After the Government of the Republika Srpska (RS) two days ago declared the state minister for Europe and Climate in the Federal Republic of Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anna Luhrmann, a persona non grata, and ordered the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs to escort her out of the entity of RS, reactions are pouring in, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Elmedin Konakovic.
Since two days ago, we’ve had a state of emergency in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Konakovic emphasized.
“Probably the biggest scandal, a diplomatic and not only diplomatic scandal, but a terrorist threat by Milorad Dodik against an officially elected minister of the German government, who under international law, the Vienna Convention, and other acts has many rights in BiH, and yesterday that right was denied to her in RS. And worst of all, she was threatened with force to leave the area, the territory of the BiH entity RS. We were in contact all day,” he said yesterday.
We must initiate some activities that really need to be accelerated.
“Today we will send a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the leaders of the European Union (EU) first and foremost, to Ms. von der Leyen, and Ms. Kallas, all foreign ministers of the EU, the United States (U.S.), the embassies, also to the United Kingdom (UK), EUFOR, and NATO in particular. And today we really expect that everyone realizes that this issue long ago went beyond the bounds of normal, but today it has entered a life-threatening territory,” he said yesterday.
Two days ago, Milorad Dodik directly requested that Anna Luhrmann be intimidated, frightened, and expelled from Banja Luka, said the head of BiH diplomacy.
“We have official information from the ground, from people who were there, that the director and the minister of internal affairs were not in favor of such a scenario, but Dodik insisted and personally stated that the matter should be brought to an end. That Borislav Boskic, the head of the department for operational-technical control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, received a direct order to inform the delegation that they must immediately leave the area of Banja Luka. I would commend the Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies, which did its job very professionally, informing the security agency which kept us regularly informed about everything, and once again the institutions were there in case, God forbid, this scandal turned into something, God forbid, much worse or much more dangerous.”
Two days ago, Dodik informed his associates that he has Serbia’s support in the persecution and threats against Minister Luhrmann, said Konakovic.
“I’m not claiming, I don’t know, he often manipulates information, but I ask you to pass on the message to Aleksandar Vucic, Ivica Dacic, and Marko Djuric, that we expect an urgent statement from them about whether they are behind this and whether they support what Milorad Dodik did. We will certainly inform about this, and that part is in the letter as well, that Dodik refers to Serbia’s consent, that he talked about it with his closest associates. It is indicative that Dacic and Vulin were at the celebration the day before that. And it is very important that we shed light on Serbia’s role in this process, because this is a regional, certainly a European, and a bigger scandal, but it is very important that they at least make a statement.”
All signed international documents and acts obligate BiH to respond urgently in terms of a judicial reaction, he emphasized.
“Not just us, but we will talk to representatives of the German authorities for criminal procedures to be urgently launched against Dodik, Viskovic, Stevandic and these instigators, and others. According to our criminal law, I believe it’s Article 192 of the Criminal Code, penalties ranging from six months to five years are prescribed for those who do something similar, and God forbid with a fatal outcome, which is not impossible in such situations, the penalties are more drastic and greater, and of course, we expect the judiciary to deal with that part as well. From today, we are really asking domestic institutions, judicial and security agencies to accelerate what they are already doing. You know I am someone who really gives importance to that and supports it with a cool head. We need to continue intensifying actions in order to arrest Milorad Dodik,” Konakovic emphasized yesterday.
Since yesterday, Konakovic has urgently, promptly, and categorically requested EUFOR’s assistance.
“We wrote this to our colleagues and friends. EUFOR has a mandate. A good portion of the foreign ministers no longer have any hesitations about allowing EUFOR assistance for the arrest of Dodik, Viskovic, and Stevandic. Those who were a bit skeptical, from today should know that Milorad Dodik was ready to deprive of liberty, to deprive of life, and to expel a high-ranking diplomat, Ms. Luhrmann, from the territory of RS. And there is no longer any room for calculations.”
With all the economic and other priorities that are important and procedural for EU accession, this security one must truly be put in first place, and we will no longer waste much time on stories about tolerance and Milorad Dodik, who is prepared, due to the situation he’s in, to endanger human lives, and he demonstrates that every day, he said.
“We do not want that next year or in the coming years in BiH, we mark the day of the deaths of police officers who arrested Milorad Dodik. We will do everything so that never happens. And to those political dilettantes who say that a police officer’s job is to die and that it’s a job to shoot, and that they should shoot at each other, I say that will never happen in our cool heads. But because of that, this EUFOR assistance scenario for the arrest of Milorad Dodik represents an absolute political and security – not just reality – but a serious obligation.”
Konakovic especially appealed to HDZ to get serious in the process of removing Milorad Dodik from power.
“To puncture that balloon of Milorad Dodik’s control, by appointing a minister of security, that is necessary today. It is more necessary than ever, and HDZ should not take on that kind of responsibility of saving Milorad Dodik. Because every day that he has the opportunity to remain in power and institutionally ensure such processes truly harms all of us. And that is why today, when isolation and political abstinence are not enough, and when the fact that no one will ever talk to that man again is not enough when these security activities are needed, I call for this political part to be routinely concluded, that Chairwoman Kristo, whom I truly respect and value, as early as tomorrow or Monday or Tuesday sends the name of Nebojsa Vukanovic or someone else for the position of Minister of Security. That completely collapses Milorad Dodik’s political pyramid, collapses his operational influence on processes in RS, and truly leads us into a much calmer harbor,” Konakovic concluded.
