Inzko Confers With US Officials on Action in Bosnia

Speaking before the UN Security Council on Monday, Valentin Inzko, the international High Representative for Bosnia, said that Bosnian Serb officials were violating the peace accord with a referendum plan and warned that the country is facing its worst crisis since the 1992-95 war.

These developments, he added, are the latest in "a downward trend in political stability in Bosnia for the past five years".

Inzko warned that the authorities in Republika Srpska, one of Bosnia's two highly autonomous entities, have taken actions that represent the most serious challenge to the 1995 Dayton peace agreement since it was signed.

The Republika Srpska National Assembly decided last month to hold a referendum in June on the validity of the state court and prosecution and the powers of the High Representative, arguing that the court has an anti-Serb bias.

"The conclusions and the decision on the referendum, which were adopted by the Republika Srpska National Assembly in April, are not only a clear breach of the peace agreement, but also put into question all laws enacted by the respective high representatives, claiming they are in violation of the peace agreement," Inzko said, pointing out that more than seven months after the general elections in Bosnia, there is still no prospect of a new state government being formed.

Inzko warned that if the referendum takes place, he will have no choice but to repeal the conclusions and the referendum decision.

Days before Inzko was set to meet with officials from the US National Security Council and US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg on Tuesday and Wednesday, Washington indicated its support for his actions.

US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Rosemary DiCarlo told Voice of America on Monday that Washington fully supports the authority of the High Representative.

"We agree that the recent conclusions adopted by the Republika Srpska National Assembly present a fundamental challenge to the Dayton Accords, and constitute the most serious of a disturbing pattern of actions by the Republika Srpska in violation of this agreement," said DiCarlo.

DiCarlo said the United States is in the process of considering its own measures in support of the Dayton agreement and Bosnian state institutions, should they become necessary.

Meanwhile, the ambassador of Russia to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said that Moscow does not view the Republika Srpska referendum as a violation of the Dayton peace agreement.

Churkin added that Inzko's statement to the Security Council on the situation in Bosnia contained more emotion than an objective analysis.

At the current stage, the main task of the international community is to transfer responsibility for territorial integrity and cohesiveness to the Bosnians themselves, Churkin said in a press conference after the Security Council meeting on Monday.

Serbia's ambassador to the UN, Fedor Starcevic, said that the referendum did not violate the Dayton agreement.

Belgrade is against any divisions in principle, but also against any disqualification of some actors from political processes, Starcevic said on Monday.

"The Republika Srpska’s referendum had nothing to do with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity and did not violate the Dayton Accords," he said.

In contrast, the representative of the EU, Pedro Serrano, told the Security Council that the decision by the Republika Sprska to hold the referendum is a step in the wrong direction. He said the European Union has made clear in talks with RS representatives that Brussels expects the referendum to be cancelled.

While Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, who proposed the referendum, has said that the RS National Assembly cannot and will not withdraw its decision to hold the referendum, he said on Monday that the vote could potentially be postponed.

"Under certain conditions," Dodik said, "perhaps we could postpone the referendum, but not longer than 90 days."

He accused Valentin Inzko of being "an irresponsible guy" and of trying to manipulate the UN Security Council and the international community.