Arab News: Clouds over Bosnia
Arab News seeks “forceful and insightful action” in Bosnia and worries that war will errupt because Bosnian Muslims have “nominal rule over the largely Serbian-occupied territory”.
Editorial:
Is Bosnia on the brink of further breakdown and violence? NATO leaders seem to fear so as evidenced by the high-level international diplomacy taking place in recent days. The problem lies in attempts to overhaul the temporary constitution imposed on the country in 1995 under the Dayton peace accord.
This was at best a band-aid, which established two semi-independent entities, the Bozniak-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb enclave, Republika Srpska. Each had its own president, government, Parliament and police. The idea was that as the benefits of peace accrued, both sides would see the virtue of closer cooperation so that in time the dividing line between their communities would start to dissolve.
No such thing, of course, has happened. Instead the Bosnian Serbs have continued to behave as if they were a ministate and make no secret of their intention to hold a referendum of their 1.5 million inhabitants on independence or union with Serbia. Since some 88 percent of the population is ethnic Serb, it seems likely that such a vote would go in favor of a break away from Bosnia.
It is clear now that in bringing about an end to the fighting, the Dayton deal sacrificed too much in the way of Bosnian sovereignty. The rotating presidency that was supposed to act as a unifying factor has instead served to heighten divisions and rivalries. Meanwhile, the existence of an almost completely formed Bosnian Serb government has allowed local Serb leaders to ignore the long-term goal of union and focus instead on a path toward independence.
The danger for the Bosnian state which has nominal rule over the largely Serbian-occupied territory is that a decision by the Serbs to leave could trigger similar action by the Bosnian Croat minority in the country. For a part of the world where history counts for much, this state of affairs is unfortunately all too familiar.
Bosnia itself, save for a brief independent history as a Christian state in the Middle Ages, was always dominated by a neighbor, including Hungary and the princes of Herzegovina. Its conquest by the Turks and subsequent Islamization gave it a fresh but not independent identity, which was abhorred by the Serbs who frequently rebelled against Ottoman rule. Therefore the Dayton deal was not only unrealistic but some have argued, also pushed against the grain of history. The new Bosnia was, some say, a failed state from the start.
The United States and the EU are now struggling to cope with the result of the draughtsmanship at Dayton. The only leverage is EU membership for Serbia, Croatia and ultimately Bosnia itself. Why, it is asked, should communities once again tear themselves apart when they will be united within the EU? Unfortunately we have the continued breakaway violence in Spain’s Basque region and by die-hard Republicans in the UK’s Northern Ireland, to prove this is no answer.
Some forceful and insightful action is, therefore, needed quickly by the international community to lance this new and rising ball of conflict before it is too late.
November 12, 2009
Arab News
Albawaba.com
Freedom for Repulic of Srpska! Bosnia doesnt exist, its just a terrioty! Freedom for Serbs!!
Bosnia existed long before the Turks showed up and it will exist long after they are all sent back to Turkey.
There is no such race as Bosnjaks. It’s made up just like a race called Kosovar is made up. There are Serbs and Croats living in Bosnia along with Hungarians, Czechs and some others but Bosnjaks are converted Serbs and Croats to Islam.
There is no Bosnian language. There is Serbian and Croatian language which others use with an injection of Arabic or Turkish words to make it seem like a different language. Citizens of former Yugslavia are very clever indeed. They all speak about five different languages now.
I personnally think that Dayton is a bad treaty. Bosnia is Bosnian.
Serbianna!!!! why don’t you post info what word will be allowed here or just close the site for comments.
this is pathetic.
Serb occupied areas??? Muslims- why don’t you call your friend Holbrooke(he’s screwing up Afghanistan presently)to help you…again.
The USA is hated largely because they are such huge hypocrites. They have condemned Russia for protecting their interests in Chechnya and Georgia (both bordering Russia), yet have bombed Serbia, 10,000 miles away from North America. They have killed thousands of innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet criticize and punish everyone else whos tries to maintain control within their own borders!
They hay have supported Kosovo indepencdence, but are totally against RS linking permanently with Serbia! What gives?!
Our bums in the government and media cannot be trusted to even protect the American people! Look what they are doing about Hasan, the Fort Hood terrorist, making HIM into a victim!
Dusko,
I think I know what gives. The power brokers want all of Bosnia in the EU, but they know this is a hard sell if it is an Islamic Islamic entity, just like Turkey essentially, so they need Christian R.S., and Croatians in Bosnia to offset this reality. Problem is most Croatians, and Serbians don’t want to live in a potential Islamic state. Western interests are keen on selling other peoples freedom out in the interest of makiing life easier on themselves politically. When the time comes for us … will they be so keen to give away our freedoms to Islamic entities? A contemporary analysis, in regards to the freedom of speech in the E.U. says yes they will.
Listen to what the Croatians say, “proposed reforms do not respect the interests of Bosnian Croats because they do not provide any new mechanisms to guarantee full equality for their ‘ethnic group.”
I wonder if the Croatians mean protection against established Islamic norms relative to the treatment of non-Muslims in Islamic majority societies? If so this will be an interesting conversation.
Why do not the western powers allowe Democracy in Bosnia ?
Why can not the Serbs yoin Serbia if they want,
the Croats yoin Croatia if they want,
and the Muslims can live as Muslims by themselves ?
Thw Western powes are showing themselves to be Hypocrits in this matter.
Aquilia.
“There is no Bosnian language. There is Serbian and Croatian language which others use with an injection of Arabic or Turkish words to make it seem like a different language. Citizens of former Yugslavia are very clever indeed. They all speak about five different languages now.”
I agree with you here. There is no such thing as a Bosnian Language. There is also no such thing as a Montenegrin language. There is also no such thing as a Croatian or a Serbian language. All 4 supposed languages are essentially the same. Ok they may use different alphabets, pronouncements, have different dialects and a few of their own words but this does not make them their own languages. They have the same structure, organisation, grammar and words etc.
Imagine someone from Glasgow speaking to someone from Jamaica. Their English will sound nothing like each others. But it is still the same language.