Threat of Secession by Serbia’s Dodik Looms over Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik threatened to secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina if the territorial integrity of Republika Srpska was at stake.

The President of Republika Srpska, one of two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dodik repeated his separatist rhetoric several times. Dodik said, “If you try to take our property from us, we will separate Republika Srpska. If this is a take it or leave it situation, we will take it to keep.”

In early March, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina struck down a controversial law on immovable property in the Republika Srpska entity. According to Dodek, the court’s decision is against the entity and will not be successful.

He added that they are in the process of drafting a new law. “This time, I plan to list all properties within the entity. If you ask us for a property list, you will solve Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Dodik said.

The court’s decision came after the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that it had suspended the law a day before it was expected to enter into force. While the unconstitutional law on immovable property was expected to enter into force on February 28, public institutions used by the Republika Srpska under the law are allegedly “part” of it.