A group of American congressmen published a statement on Tuesday in which they emphasized support for democratic processes and the preservation of peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, sending a message that “the international community will not tolerate actions that prolong conflicts and human suffering.”
Congresswoman and Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives, Ann Wagner, one of the signatories of the statement, previously introduced the law to maintain the Dayton Peace Agreement through sanctions, which was adopted by the House of Representatives in 2022.
On this occasion, Congresswoman Wagner, and as a representative of the largest Bosnian community outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized the importance of stability in the region and the need to oppose “destructive politicians who want to undo the years of peace.”
“We will not allow corrupt politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, often aided by the Putin regime (Vladimir, Russian President), to threaten the Dayton Agreement and make life more dangerous for everyone in the region. This Bill will ensure that we impose sanctions on these destabilizing criminals and deter bad actors, including Russia, to gain a foothold in the region,” Wagner said.
Congressman Mike Turner, who was mayor of the city of Dayton during the signing of the Peace Agreement in 1995, said that achieving peace was not easy and that international peace agreements are only viable if all parties are willing to sit down at the table.
“Supporting the Dayton Peace Agreement through sanctions legislation demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the United States to improving security and preventing violence. By holding accountable those who undermine peace agreements, we are sending a strong message that the international community will not tolerate actions that prolong conflict and human suffering,” Turner specified.
Congresswoman Susan Wild called for support for Bosnians and Herzegovinans in protecting “hard-won peace in the face of the forces of conflict and sectarianism,” while at the same time making democracy “stronger, more representative and more inclusive.”
“The key is that this bill calls on Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, which require the abolition of the existing ethnic and religious conditions for holding high political offices, which is an unacceptable obstacle for citizens of Jewish and Roma origin, as well as all other citizens who do not belong to the three protected ethnic communities,” said Wild.
The statement was concluded by Congressman Tom Kean, who emphasized that the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve a government that values and prioritizes unity and democracy.
“Compliance with the Dayton Agreement through sanctions legislation will put Bosnia and Herzegovina on the right track to protect its sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity and multi-ethnic character from malicious actors who seek to violate the spirit of the Dayton Agreement. As Chairman of the European Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, I will continue to fight for peace and stability in Europe and the whole world,” Kean concluded.
The law would underscore that the policy of the United States to support a unified, sovereign and multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina, encouraged the use of sanctions against those who undermine the Dayton Agreement and the democratic institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and encouraged the European Union to join the US in sanctioning the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
At the same time, he would focus on exposing Russia’s role in fomenting instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and jeopardizing multilateral peace efforts, and would make an effort to protect the Office of the High Representative in BiH (OHR). The bill also provides for the authority to impose sanctions on foreign persons and adult family members who undermine the Dayton Agreement or otherwise threaten the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It states that sanctions must be imposed for the formation or participation in the formation of parallel breakaway institutions, for violating or obstructing the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, including threats to the OHR, undermining the democratic institutions of BiH, and requires regular reporting to establish strong supervision.
In order for that law to enter into force, it needs to be adopted by the Senate and to receive the confirmation of the US President.
The statement of the American congressmen comes at the moment of one of a series of political crises in Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the authorities in Republika Srpska adopted laws on the non-implementation of the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and on the non-publication of the decisions of the high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dodik, who is under the sanctions of the United States of America and Great Britain, signed the controversial laws despite the fact that the high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt, using the Bonn powers, annulled them on July 1.
