Two US F-16s fly over Bosnia as a warning against possible secessionist acts

Two American F-16 fighter jets will fly over Bosnia-Herzegovina today to warn that the United States will not tolerate secession attempts in the Balkan state, the country’s embassy in Sarajevo announced this Monday.

“USA. has highlighted that the Constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina does not provide for any right of secession and will act if anyone tries to change this basic element of (the Dayton Peace Agreement), ”the embassy warned in a statement posted on its website.

Celebration in the secessionist Republika Srpska (RS)

This warning and the overflight of the fighter jets, which will take place in the afternoon, coincide with the start of a two-day celebration in the secessionist Republika Srpska (RS) of its illegal “national day” on January 9, and after repeated threats independentists by their authorities.

The embassy also highlighted that the fighter exercises are part of bilateral training with the Bosnian Army and represents part of the military cooperation between the two countries that contributes to peace and security in the Western Balkans.

“It also demonstrates the commitment of the United States to guarantee the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the face of secessionist and anti-Dayton activity,” he stressed.

Milorad Dodik’s criticism of the American ambassador

The Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, last week described the US ambassador, Michael Murphy, as a “faggot and psychopath” when he stressed his country’s support for Bosnian territorial integrity.

According to the Dayton peace agreement, which ended the Bosnian war (1992-1995), the Republika Srpska is one of the two entities that, together with the Federation, make up Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia once again warned days ago that the celebration of this “national day” is discriminatory and unconstitutional, which is why it represents a criminal act.

Bosnian Serbs have been celebrating this holiday for years despite the condemnations, but this year there is special tension due to new secessionist threats from the president of the RS, Milorad Dodik.

The International High Representative for Bosnia, Christian Schmidt, called on the Bosnian State Prosecutor’s Office to react if the party were to be officially celebrated.

Dodik threatened to proclaim in such a case the Bosnian Central Prosecutor’s Office incompetent in the territory of the RS, which, according to Sarajevo, would represent a “de jure” secession.

The Constitutional Court banned that holiday for the first time in 2015

The Constitutional Court banned this holiday for the first time in 2015, considering that the date of January 9 is discriminatory, adopted against the will of the Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats of the RS.

For that population, the January 9, 1992 commemoration marked the beginning of a terrible ethnic cleansing in the territories that the Bosnian Serbs wanted to claim for their own state, separated from the rest of Bosnia and united with Serbia, as confirmed by the International Criminal Court. for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The Bosnian Serb political and military leaders who created the RS at the beginning of the war have been convicted of genocide and war crimes by international justice, although in that territory they are admired and their crimes are denied or relativized. With EFE

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