Bosnian Serbs on Thursday celebrated their self-proclaimed “national day,” defying a high courtroom ruling that declared the occasion unconstitutional.
January 9 marks the 1992 declaration of a “Serb republic” in Bosnia – an act that preceded the outbreak of a devastating inter-ethnic civil warfare three months later. The battle, which lasted from 1992 to 1995, claimed 100,000 lives and left deep scars on the nation.
Since the warfare’s finish, Bosnia has been divided alongside ethnic traces into two semi-autonomous entities: Republika Srpska, dominated by Serbs, and the Muslim-Croat Federation.
The two entities are linked by weak central establishments, with every sustaining its personal authorities.
On Thursday night, as much as 3,000 folks gathered on the most important sq. in Republika Srpska’s administrative middle, Banja Luka, to cheer a parade that featured police, warfare veterans, sports activities golf equipment, college students, and varied civilian associations, based on an Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporter.
Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, who has repeatedly threatened to withdraw his republic from Bosnia, was absent as he’s recovering from surgical procedure.
In addition to Bosnian Serb officers, Serbia’s Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin attended the occasion.
“This is not a holiday for a part of the Serbian people but a holiday for all Serbs, wherever they live,” Vulin advised the gang.
The “holiday” has been dominated unconstitutional by Bosnia’s Constitutional Court, in addition to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The European Union delegation to Bosnia mentioned in an announcement Thursday that “Constitutional Court decisions … need to be respected” and urged Bosnian Serb leaders to “refrain from and renounce provocative, divisive rhetoric and actions, including questioning the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the country.”
In latest years, Dodik has used the event to current Republika Srpska’s highest medal of honor to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Source: www.dailysabah.com