America with an ‘iron hand’ in the Balkans/ 13 individuals and one entity in Bosnia declared ‘non grata’: Dodik has exploited the position to…

The United States on Friday declared eight individuals as undesirable for organizing and implementing the plan to celebrate the Day of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the celebration of which has been declared unconstitutional by the country’s institutions and condemned by Western states.

In its announcement, the U.S. State Department referred to the celebration of this day in 2024, stating that those involved in the decision “supported the secessionist agenda” of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.

Republika Srpska in Bosnia celebrated the same day last week with a parade in the center of Banja Luka, the capital of this entity, despite calls from the United States and the European Union against such a celebration.

According to the State Department, the January 9 celebrations, held to commemorate this date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their state—triggering a bloody four-year war with over 100,000 victims—”are emblematic actions of Dodik’s longstanding efforts to undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, a pillar of peace and regional security.”

“The actions of these individuals threaten the territorial integrity, peace, and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina by undermining the framework of the Dayton Agreement and its institutions, including the Constitutional Court and the authority of the High Representative,” the State Department’s statement said.

The State Department added that seven of those sanctioned on Friday “helped plan and organize celebrations for 2025 as well.” The State Department also announced the designation of five other individuals and one entity as part of Milorad Dodik’s and his family’s financial network.

“Dodik has exploited his official position to amass personal wealth through companies connected to him and his family at the expense of the residents of Bosnia,” the State Department said in its statement. It further noted that Dodik and his family “frequently rely on a network of trusted collaborators to conceal their involvement and evade U.S. sanctions.”

The war in Bosnia ended in the fall of 1995 with a U.S.-brokered peace agreement. The Dayton Agreement led to the creation of the Serb entity and the Bosniak-Croat entity in Bosnia, which are tied together by weak central institutions.

Bosnian Serbs, however, aim to gain as much independence as possible. Pro-Russian nationalist leader Milorad Dodik has openly called for secession from Bosnia, defying U.S. and UK sanctions imposed on him for his political stance.

Friday’s decision comes just days after U.S. President Joe Biden expanded the executive order for the Western Balkans, which envisions sanctions for individuals and entities who violate or participate in undermining agreements that ended wars in the region or pose threats to its security.

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