Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has instructed top officials from his party, the Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), to form a team to draft a plan for the entity’s separation from the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This revelation came through a statement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), issued just days ago. Among the individuals linked to this secessionist effort are Sinisa Karan, Minister of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, and Dallibor Paniq, Secretary-General of the Government of Republika Srpska. Both were placed on the OFAC sanctions list on January 17 for their roles in organizing an unconstitutional Day of Republika Srpska celebrations.
However, it’s unclear whether this group has held any formal meetings or written any documents related to the separation. Despite this, opposition parties in Republika Srpska argue that the formation of such a group is a clear sign of an effort to “peacefully” split from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
While no specific timeline has been given, analysts warn that such a secession would require constitutional changes and a referendum, both of which are virtually impossible under the current legal framework.
The move follows a series of actions in 2023, including laws that ignore rulings from Bosnia’s Constitutional Court, adding to fears that Dodik’s government is working to gradually detach Republika Srpska from Bosnia’s federal institutions.
