Mark Rutte. Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images
NATO Secretary Mark Rutte has expressed support for the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is resisting attempts by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to undermine the country’s constitutional order. He stressed that the Alliance will not allow a “security vacuum” in the region, AFP reports.
Political tensions in Bosnia
The conflict escalated after Dodik was sentenced to a year in prison and banned from holding political office for six years for ignoring the decisions of the international representative in Bosnia, Christian Schmidt. Despite this, Dodik signed laws that block the activities of the central government in Republika Srpska, the autonomous part of the country he leads. The Bosnian Constitutional Court overturned these laws, stating that they threatened the sovereignty of the state.
NATO’s response
Mark Rutte arrived in Sarajevo to meet with representatives of the country’s tripartite presidency. He stressed that NATO remains committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability and is ready to prevent any attempts at destabilisation. “This is not 1992, and we will not allow a security vacuum to arise,” he stressed, recalling the start of the Balkan war.
European support and US actions
European peacekeepers from EUFOR have announced a temporary increase in their presence in the region. At the same time, the Trump administration is reviewing its foreign policy, which is causing concern among NATO allies. The United States has already imposed sanctions on Dodik over his separatist rhetoric and threat to destabilise the region.
NATO, which played a key role in ending the war in Bosnia in the 1990s, continues to cooperate with EUFOR and has its headquarters in Sarajevo to maintain security in the country.
