Milorad Dodik’s separatist rhetoric and threats to secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina are anti-Dayton, irresponsible, dangerous, and detrimental to the integration of BiH into Euro-Atlantic institutions.
There is no right under Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution for an entity or any other sub-state unit to secede, and the United States will not remain idle if Milorad Dodik acts to spark another conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United States, as it has for almost 30 years, will act to protect Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and multi-ethnic character. Milorad Dodik’s rhetoric and threats are an attempt to distract from the real problems facing Republika Srpska’s residents: the government’s ongoing campaign to take away fundamental freedoms; failure to address rising prices for food, housing, and transportation; and continued efforts to mortgage Republika Srpska’s future through irresponsible government borrowing.
As for Milorad Dodik’s threat that he will cease cooperation with NATO, we would remind him that the 2005 Law on Defense obligates state-level authorities to conduct required activities for the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to NATO. This includes sustaining a robust partnership and cooperation with NATO. Milorad Dodik has no authority to unilaterally suspend or amend this or any other law.
