MILORAD DODIK

The Bosnian Serb separatist leader has awarded Russian President Vladimir Putin with the highest medal of honor for his “patriotic concern and love” for the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia.

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — Separatist politician Milorad Dodik was sworn in Tuesday as president of Bosnia’s Serb-run part, pledging to pursue good ties with Russia, China and other like-minded countries. Dodik said during the inauguration ceremony Tuesday that Bosnian Serbs "have our Serbia, our Russia and our (other) partners in Hungary, China.”On the other hand, Dodik singled out the United Kingdom and Germany as countries working against Bosnian Serbs and their interests. Dodik was elected president of Bosnia’s Serb-run part, Republika Srpska, in a general election held in October. Dodik has been the most influential Bosnian Serb leader for nearly two decades despite being sanctioned by the West for advocating the separation of Republika Srpska from the rest of the country. Separatist ambitions among ethnic Serbs sparked Bosnia’s devastating 1992-95 war, which killed more than 100,000 people, displaced millions and shattered the country for years to come.

Separatist politician Milorad Dodik has been sworn in as president of Bosnia’s Serb-run part and he pledged to pursue good ties with Russia, China and other like-minded countries.

The European Union is in the midst of yet another goodwill trip through the Western Balkans to drum up support for the 27-nation bloc.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — An election recount confirmed a staunchly pro-Russia Bosnian Serb leader’s victory over an opposition challenger who accused him of vote-rigging in the contest for the presidency of Bosnia's Serb-run part. Bosnia’s top electoral body announced Thursday the recount showed the contested Oct 2. election was won by Bosnian Serb hardliner Milorad Dodik. The Central Election Commission said the repeated count revealed numerous irregularities it had notified judicial authorities about but that none were on a level that would have changed the outcome of the vote. Dodik has been practically unchallenged as Bosnia's top Serb leader for over a decade despite being sanctioned by the West for corruption. He advocates the separation of Bosnia’s Serb-run part, Republika Srpska, from the rest of the country and having it become part of neighbouring Serbia.

An election recount has confirmed a staunchly pro-Russia Bosnian Serb leader’s victory over an opposition challenger who accused him of vote-rigging in the contest for the presidency of Bosnia’s Serb-run part.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — Amid widespread reports of fraud in Bosnia's general election, the ethnically divided country's top electoral body announced Monday it will conduct a recount in the race to become the next Bosnian Serb president, a ballot that was allegedly rigged by a staunchly pro-Russian leader. Bosnia’s central election commission on Monday ordered all ballots cast in the race for the president of the country’s Serb-run part to be shipped to the central vote counting center in the capital of Sarajevo to be tallied anew and further examined. Hardline Bosnian Serb separatist Milorad Dodik has claimed victory in the race to be president of the Serb-run part, Republika Srpska. The central election commission collects the poll station tallies, examines them for irregularities and runs recounts where necessary before certifying the results or ordering a rerun of a vote. The commission has for years called for electoral law reforms, insisting that appointments of poll workers by political parties increases the risk of vote-rigging.

Amid widespread reports of fraud in Bosnia’s general election, the ethnically divided country’s top electoral body has announced it will conduct a recount of a Bosnian Serb presidential ballot allegedly rigged by a staunchly pro-Russian leader.

The election was held for all levels of government in both the Serb-dominated and Bosniak-Croat parts of the Balkan country, as well as for the joint central institutions. Leading Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik has claimed victory in the election for the post of presidency of the Serb entity. Opposition leaders, however, claim that their candidate Jelena Trivic is the winner, and that Dodik rigged the ballot. Dodik, the most powerful politician the Bosnian Serb's semi-autonomous region, has denied allegations that he orchestrated an election fraud to rob his main challenger of her election triumph. At Sunday's rally in the northern city of Banja Luka, Trivic said opposition wants a recount and a check of all ballots in the Bosnian Serb entity, and an investigation into possible vote-rigging.

Thousands have rallied in Bosnia for the second time in a week, alleging that a pro-Russian Bosnian Serb leader rigged the presidential vote during Bosnia’s general election.

Bosnia’s election authorities are voicing concerns over widespread problems at polling stations and reports of irregularities and vote-rigging in the general election last weekend.

The Russian leader is pushing pan-Slavic unity to keep two Balkan states out of the EU and NATO.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — Bosnia's long-entrenched sectarian parties were poised Monday to be the overall winners of the country's general election despite symbolic successes by some opposition candidates who ran on a corruption-fighting agenda in the Balkan country that is divided along ethnic lines. The election included contests for the three members of Bosnia’s shared, multi-ethnic presidency, the president of one of its two highly autonomous parts, and parliament deputies at different, in part overlapping, levels of governance. Bosnia’s institutional setup was introduced by a U.S.-brokered peace agreement that ended the war in the 1990s between its three main ethnic groups. Preliminary results showed the tribal political parties will remain dominant in the legislatures at all levels, likely maintaining their capacity to gridlock the country and mismanage public resources. As part of his campaign, Dodik travelled to Moscow in September to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and secure his endorsement.

Bosnia’s long-entrenched sectarian parties are poised to be the overall winners of the country’s general election despite symbolic successes by some opposition candidates who ran on a corruption-fighting agenda.

The first preliminary results released by Bosnia’s central election commission early Monday showed cooperation-prone contenders Denis Becirovic and Zeljko Komsic on course to win respective Bosniak and Croat seats in the tripartite presidency. However, the reformists were likely to be joined by Zeljka Cvijanovic from the strongest Bosnian Serb party – the secessionist and staunchly pro-Russian SNSD. The election included contests for the three members of Bosnia’s shared, multiethnic presidency, the president of one of its two highly autonomous parts, and parliament deputies at different, in part overlapping, levels of governance. Both Dodik, and his main contender, Jelena Trivic, proclaimed victory in the race for the Bosnian Serb president. Election turnout on Sunday was 50% or over 2 percentage points down from the 2018 general election.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — Polls opened Sunday in Bosnia for a general election that is unlikely to bring any substantial change despite palpable disappointment in the small, ethnically divided Balkan country with the long-established cast of sectarian political leaders. The peace agreement divided the country into two highly independent governing entities — one run by Serbs and the other shared by Bosniaks and Croats. Voting began at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT; 1 a.m. EDT) and will continue until 7 p.m. (1700 GMT; 1 p.m. EDT). Turnout at midday on Sunday was 14% or three percentage points up from the 2018 general election. Bosnian Serb political leader Milorad Dodik is running for president of Bosnia’s Serb-run part and has used the election campaign to champion a secessionist agenda and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Polls opened in Bosnia on Sunday for a general election that is unlikely to bring any structural change despite palpable disappointment in the small, ethnically divided Balkan country's political leaders.

Bosnia’s general election should be about fighting rampant corruption and the country’s ailing economy.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — Facing an election this weekend, Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik blasted the West and praised Vladimir Putin over his policies in the Balkans, boasting that he is a rare European politician who can meet with the Russian president anytime he wishes. Dodik’s comments made at a preelection rally late Tuesday in the Bosnian Serb semiautonomous region of Republika Srpska came after he met with Putin in Moscow earlier this month when he endorsed Russia's war in Ukraine. Dodik, a Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency that also includes a Bosniak and a Croat member, has frequently met with Putin, especially before elections when he wants to show to the highly pro-Russia Bosnian Serb electorate that he has Putin’s support. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a place that constantly suppresses us to take off in our development,” he said, adding that the fate of Bosnian Serb children depends on how quickly Bosnian Serbs leave the joint country. Bosnia holds a general election on Sunday in which Dodik is running for the Bosnian Serb president, a separate function from the three-member presidency.

Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik is facing an election this weekend and he has blasted the West and praised Vladimir Putin over his policies in the Balkans.

The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on a Bosnian state prosecutor who is accused of being complicit in corruption and undermining democratic processes or institutions in the Western Balkans.

BELGRADE, Serbia — (AP) — Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday days after he endorsed Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, Russian and Serbian media reported. During a rare visit to Moscow by a politician from Europe, the Russian president praised his country's “strategic partnership” with Serbia. Dodik, a Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, has frequently met with Putin, especially ahead of elections when he wants to show to the highly pro-Russian Bosnian Serb electorate that he has Putin's support. Moscow has often been accused by the West of seeking to destabilize Bosnia and the rest of the Balkans through its proxies in Serbia and Bosnia. “Russia and Serbia are linked by a strategic partnership,” Putin said, according to the Serbian media.

Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo on Thursday described claims by the Bosnian Serb leader that his security services are eavesdropping on the American ambassador to Sarajevo as “blustering" and added that his separatist policies are “gambling” with the future of the Serb entity in the Balkan state. Milorad Dodik, a member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, claimed at a pre-election rally Wednesday that the Bosnian Serb spying agency is now capable of listening to the conversations by U.S. Although the peace deal ended the bloodshed, it left Bosnia deeply divided between the Bosniak-Croat federation and the Serb entity called Republika Srpska. Dodik has openly been striving to split the Serb entity from Bosnia and join it with neighboring Serbia. Media in Bosnia say Dodik is among politicians in more than two dozen countries who since 2014 were paid by Russia in exchange for exerting pro-Kremlin influence.

The U_S_ Embassy in Sarajevo has described claims by the Bosnian Serb leader that his security services are eavesdropping on the American ambassador to Sarajevo as “blustering.”.

Bosnia Serbs FILE - Bosnian Serb member of the tripartite Presidency of Bosnia Milorad Dodik watches military exercises on Batajnica, military airport near Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, April 30, 2022. Bosnia went through a devastating 1992-95 war in which over 100,000 people died before a U.S.-brokered peace deal ended the conflict. The peace deal, also known as the Dayton Accords, created Bosnian Serb and Bosniak-Croat entities tied together by joint Bosnian institutions and a triparate presidency of which Dodik is a member. Dodik, who has led a Bosnian Serb secessionist drive, said he was convinced that Serbs would soon make important decisions about their fate in Bosnia. I pray to God that Donald Trump comes to power in America again.”During his presidency, Trump rarely spoke against the continuous attempts by Bosnian Serbs to destabilize Bosnia.

The leader of Bosnia’s Serbs says he hopes former U.S. President Donald Trump returns to power.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The leader of Bosnia's Serbs said Sunday he hoped former U.S. President Donald Trump would return to power and that the Serbs would “wait for appropriate global circumstances” to reach for their goal of seceding from Bosnia, which he called an “unsustainable state.” Milorad Dodik, who was a rare European official to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the war in Ukraine started in late February, made the comments at a gathering marking the start of a bloody breakup of Bosnia 30 years ago.

Germany Nato Foreign Minister Meeting Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth Truss, arrives for an informal working dinner of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers' session with the Foreign Ministers of Finland and Sweden in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) (Michael Sohn)SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is visiting Sarajevo on Thursday to reaffirm the U.K.'s commitment to peace and stability in Bosnia amid growing fears of malign influence from Russia in the ethnically-divided Balkan country. Truss will also address Bosnia’s multi-ethnic armed forces to urge support for Ukraine with a message that “Russia’s aggression cannot be appeased. Bosnia has been divided along ethnic lines since the 1992-95 war between its Bosniak, Croat and Serb ethnic communities that killed around 100,000 people. The country condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations, but failed to agree on imposing sanctions against the Kremlin because of opposition from Serb officials.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is in Bosnia’s capital to reaffirm the U.K.’s commitment to the ethnically divided Balkan country amid growing fears of malign influence from Russia.

Serbia has displayed a recently delivered sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft missile system at an event at a military airport near Belgrade, the capital.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — The top international official in Bosnia on Tuesday suspended a Bosnian Serb property law that is seen as part of a separatist drive by Bosnian Serbs. Christian Schmidt, who heads the U.N. Office of High Representative in Bosnia, says that the law passed in February in the Bosnian Serb assembly was unconstitutional. Bosnian Serbs have refused to withdraw the law and top Serb politician Milorad Dodik said Tuesday he does not accept Schmidt's decision. Britain slapped Dodik and Bosnian Serb President Zeljka Cvijanovic with sanctions on Monday for undermining peace in the Balkan nation. The issue of ownership and division of the state property has remained unsolved for years amid disagreements between Bosnian politicians.

LONDON — (AP) — Britain on Monday announced sanctions against Bosnian-Serb politicians Milorad Dodik and Zeljka Cvijanovic, censuring them for attempts to undermine the legitimacy and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans, are the first to be announced by the U.K. under the Bosnia and Herzegovina sanctions regime. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss accused the pair of being emboldened by Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine. “These two politicians are deliberately undermining the hard won peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,'' Truss said in a statement. Dodik is the Bosnian-Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s three-person state-level presidency.

Britain has announced sanctions against Bosnian-Serb politicians Milorad Dodik and Zeljka Cvijanovic, censuring them for attempts to undermine the legitimacy of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Britain has sanctioned two leading Bosnian-Serb politicians.

Some European countries watching Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine fear they could be next.

A country stitched together after genocide is unraveling amid a debate about the reality of those crimes.

Belgium Europe Ukraine Tensions European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. And those who work in this direction are strongly wrong," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after chairing a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers. The U.S. accused him of "corrupt activities" that threaten to destabilize the region and undermine the U.S.-brokered Dayton Peace Accord. Most EU countries also want to hit Dodik with sanctions, but Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia are notably opposed. The EU is also demanding that electoral reform be passed ahead of polls in Bosnia later this year.

Belgium Europe Ukraine Tensions European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. "The nationalist and separatist rhetoric is increasing in Bosnia and Herzegovina and jeopardizing the stability and even the integrity of the country," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in Brussels, where he chaired a meeting of the 27-country bloc's foreign ministers. The U.S. accused him of "corrupt activities" that threaten to destabilize the region and undermine the U.S.-brokered Dayton Peace Accord. The agreement in 1995 ended the war in Bosnia, which killed more than 100,000 people and left millions homeless. The EU is also demanding that electoral reform be passed ahead of polls in Bosnia later this year.

The European Union's top diplomat says the bloc is ready to use all tools available to prevent the possible breakup up of ethnically divided Bosnia.

(Ina Fassbender/Pool via AP) (Ina Fassbender)MUNICH — (AP) — The European Union's foreign policy chief said Sunday that he's deeply concerned about tensions in Bosnia and has appealed to leaders there to avoid the breakup of the Balkan country. It was never easy, but now the centrifugal tendencies are really very worrying," Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, said at an annual security conference in Munich. We will not accept the breakup and disintegration of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Borrell said. Bosnia Serbs have been pushing for creating their own tax collection system, judiciary and even the armed forces which have been run centrally so far. “I appeal to the responsibility of the political leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina to avoid the breakup of the country,” Borrell said.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says he’s deeply concerned about tensions in Bosnia and has appealed to leaders there to avoid the breakup of the Balkan country.

The European Union's foreign policy chief said Sunday that he's deeply concerned about tensions in Bosnia and has appealed to leaders there to avoid the breakup of the Balkan country. Last month, the Biden administration announced new sanctions against Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who has for years been advocating that the Serb-run part of Bosnia leave the rest of the country and unite with neighboring Serbia.

Almost 30 years after the U.S. forged a peace deal to end the vicious Bosnian War, the fragile 3-way government that deal created is being tested like never before

“Across 26 years, the United States has stood by the people (of Bosnia). The accord established two separate governing entities in Bosnia — one run by Bosnia’s Serbs and the other dominated by the country’s Bosniaks and Croats. This has triggered fears in Bosnia and abroad of a return to war. "The United States is watching and (is) very, very concerned about the political crisis” in Bosnia. He also indicated some willingness to consider the Serb representatives’ return to work in Bosnia's shared, country-wide institutions.

The war in the mid-1990s left more 100,000 people dead amid proven ethnic cleansing. Almost 3 decades later, the old tensions are being rekindled.

Bosnia Serbs Political Crisis Members of the police forces of Republic of Srpska march during a parade marking the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka, northern Bosnia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. This week Bosnian Serb political leader Milorad Dodik was slapped with new U.S. sanctions for alleged corruption. “This gathering is the best response to those who deny us our rights, … who keep imposing sanctions on us,” Dodik said. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the multi-ethnic country’s devastating, nearly 4-year-long war that became a byname for ethnic cleansing and genocide. Dodik has for years been advocating the separation of the Bosnian Serb mini-state from the rest of the country and making it part of neighboring Serbia.

Under growing international pressure over their leader's secessionist aspirations, Bosnian Serbs have celebrated an outlawed holiday with a provocative parade showcasing armored vehicles, police helicopters and law enforcement officers with rifles, marching in lockstep and singing a nationalist song.

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Amid Bosnia’s greatest political crisis since the end of its 1992-95 interethnic war, the country’s Serbs celebrated an outlawed holiday Sunday with a provocative parade showcasing armored vehicles, police helicopters and law enforcement officers with rifles, marching in lockstep and singing a nationalist song. Addressing several thousand spectators gathered in Banja Luka, the de-facto capital of the Serb-run part of the country, Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik disparaged sanctions Washington slapped on him last week over his alleged corrupt activities and threats to tear the country apart. “This gathering is the best response to those who deny us our rights, … who keep imposing sanctions on us,” Dodik said.

Bosnian Serb leader responds to new U.S. sanctions saying the days when the U.S. and other Western democracies "modeled Bosnia to their taste" are long gone.

Bosnian Serbs Tensions Bosnian Serb member of the tripartite Bosnian presidency Milorad Dodik, left, and President of Republika Srpska Zeljka Cvijanovic arrive at the parliament session in Banja Luka, Bosnia, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. The Bosnian Serb parliament convened on Friday to vote on a set of steps that would weaken the war-ravaged Balkan country's central authority as their leader steps up his secession campaign despite a threat of new U.S. and other sanctions. (AP Photo/Radivoje Pavicic) (Radivoje Pavicic)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday announced sanctions against Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, accusing him of “corrupt activities” that threaten to destabilize the region and undermine peace accords. The Treasury Department also alleged that Dodik has used his leadership position to accumulate wealth through graft and bribery. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The Biden administration has announced sanctions against Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, accusing him of “corrupt activities” that threaten to destabilize the region and undermine peace accords.

BERLIN — (AP) — The German government has dropped plans to give the country's highest honor to an Israeli historian amid criticism of his work on the genocide in Bosnia. German news agency dpa reported Friday that the Foreign Ministry has withdrawn its nomination for Gideon Greif to receive Germany's Order of Merit. Bosnian news portal klix.ba first reported the decision, citing a letter German officials had sent to a Germany-based historian. The report, commissioned by hardline Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, was widely dismissed by other historians. More than 8,000 Bosniaks, most of them men and boys, were slaughtered around Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces toward the end of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia.

The German government has dropped plans to give the country's highest honor to an Israeli historian amid criticism of his work on the genocide in Bosnia. German news agency dpa reported Friday that the Foreign Ministry has withdrawn its nomination for Gideon Greif to receive Germany's Order of Merit. Greif, who has done extensive work on the Holocaust, was part of an international panel of historians who in June published a lengthy report that suggested the 1995 killing of thousands of Muslims in Srebrenica didn't constitute genocide.

Bosnian officials and religious leaders have denounced suggestions voiced by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his spokesman that the integration of Bosnia into the European Union will be challenging because of its large Muslim population.

(Gonzalo Fuentes, Pool Photo via AP) (Gonzalo Fuentes)BERLIN — (AP) — The European Union should slap sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik for his efforts to get Serb-dominated areas in Bosnia to secede from the Balkan country, Germany's new foreign minister said Monday. Her comments followed a vote Friday by the Bosnian Serb parliament to launch a series of steps that could weaken war-ravaged Bosnia’s central authority. The United States has already placed a travel ban and assets freeze on Dodik and threatened more sanctions in case Bosnian Serbs further weaken Bosnia’s central institutions. The 1992-1995 Bosnian War left more than 100,000 people dead and millions homeless during the worst bloodshed in Europe since World War II. It started after Bosnian Serbs, with the help of the Serb-led Yugoslav army, tried to create ethnically pure territories in Bosnia with an aim of joining Serbia.

Germany’s new foreign minister says the European Union should slap sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik for his efforts to get Serb-dominated areas in Bosnia to secede from the Balkan country.

Bosnian Serbs Tensions Bosnian Serb's lawmakers take part in the parliament session in Banja Luka, Bosnia, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. The lawmakers are expected to vote on starting a procedure for Bosnian Serbs to withdraw from the Bosnian army, security services, tax system and judiciary. That would be another substantial move following repeated threats by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to secede about a half of Bosnia and join neighboring Serbia. Dodik has for years been advocating for the separation of the Bosnian Serb semi-autonomous mini-state from Bosnia and having it become part of neighboring Serbia. The Bosnian War started in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs, with the help of the Serb-led Yugoslav army, tried to create ethnically pure territories with an aim of joining neighboring Serbia.

The Bosnian Serb parliament has vote to launch a series of steps that would weaken the war-ravaged Balkan country’s central institutions as the Bosnian Serb leader stepped up his secession campaign despite a threat of new U.S. sanctions.

A senior U.S. official says Washington remains committed to maintaining peace and stability in Bosnia despite recent challenges by some of its Serb nationalist leaders to the U.S.-brokered Dayton peace agreement.

A senior U.S. diplomat says he's received assurances from members of Bosnia’s presidency there will be no repeat of armed clashes in the war-scarred nation despite deep tensions triggered by Bosnian Serb separatist moves.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — Members of Bosnia’s collective presidency have offered assurances that there will be no repeat of ethnic clashes in the war-scarred nation, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Monday, despite deep tensions triggered by Bosnian Serb separatist moves. The Bosnian War started in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs, with the help of the Yugoslav army, tried to create ethnically pure territories with an aim of joining neighboring Serbia. More than 100,000 people were killed and millions were left homeless during the worst bloodshed in Europe after World War II. Schmidt also warned that Balkan nation could break up if the international community does not curb threatened separatist actions by Bosnian Serb leader and presidency member Milorad Dodik. But Dodik said the Bosnian Serb parliament would continue drafting laws withdrawing support for the joint army, judiciary and tax collection.

The chief international representative in Bosnia has on Tuesday, Nov. 2 warned that the war-scarred Balkan state could face the biggest “existential threat of the post war period” if Bosnian Serb separatist moves are not curbed by international community. Dodik, the Bosnian Serb member of the presidency, has for years been advocating for the separation of the Bosnian Serb mini-state and having it become part of Serbia. He has threatened to take over the Bosnian army barracks located in the Serb half of Bosnia once the Bosnian Serb military is formed. He said that if the West tries to intervene, he would call Bosnian Serb “friends” for help, an apparent reference to Serbia and Russia. Extending the mandate of the EUFOR peacekeeping mission in Bosnia by one year is set for consideration by the Security Council.

The chief international representative in Bosnia is warning that the war-scarred Balkan nation could face the biggest “existential threat of the post-war period” if the international community does not curb threatened separatist actions by Bosnian Serbs.

Bosnia’s Serb police have held an “anti-terrorist” drill just outside the capital Sarajevo, in a move seen by many as another provocation by the country's separatist leadership.

Bosnia Protest People gather for a protest against the government in Banja Luka, in Serb-dominated part of Bosnia, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. The protesters on Saturday accused the ruling party of nationalist leader Milorad Dodik of crime and corruption and called for its ouster. The protesters accused the ruling party of nationalist leader Milorad Dodik of crime and corruption, including in the procurement of ventilators and other equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. The Bosnian Serb entity, called Republika Srpska, and the Bosniak-Croat one were formed after the 1992-95 war that left more than 100,000 people dead and millions displaced. The pro-Russian Serb leader is also a member of the multi-ethnic Bosnian presidency.

Several thousand people have rallied in Bosnia against the government in the Serb-dominated part of the Balkan nation.

A German diplomat has taken office as the top international official in Bosnia.

The official Bosnian Serb television channel said Friday's vote was unanimous and presented “response and protection” from Inzko's genocide denial ban. It was also seen as a show of unity behind nationalist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who advocates the separation of Bosnian Serbs from Bosnia. Both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court for Former Yugoslavia declared the Bosnian Serb killings of more than 8,000 Bosniaks in Srebrenica during the Bosnian War as genocide. But Bosnian Serb officials and officials in neighboring Serbia have refused to accept the designation. “Inzko's decision will not be possible,” Bosnian Serb parliament speaker Nedeljko Sarovic said after Friday's vote.

Serbia Bosnia Genocide People walk by a mural of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic vandalized with red paint in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, July 24, 2021. The Bosnian Serb wartime political leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic were both convicted of genocide in Srebrenica by a special U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) (Darko Vojinovic)SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — Bosnian Serb political representatives have pledged to block decision-making in the country’s institutions in protest over a recent move by the top international envoy in Bosnia to outlaw genocide denial. Dodik repeatedly said over the weekend that Inzko’s decision should serve as a final push for secession of Bosnian Serb lands from the rest of the country. But Bosnian Serb officials and neighboring Serbia have refused to accept the designation.

Bosnian Serb political leaders have pledged to block decision-making in the country's institutions to protest a recent move by the top international envoy in Bosnia to outlaw genocide denial.

Bosnia Srebrenica Anniversary A woman visits the memorial cemetery in Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia, Sunday, July 11, 2021. The brutal execution of more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb troops is being commemorated by a series of events Sunday. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) (Darko Bandic)SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — (AP) — The top international official in Bosnia on Friday banned denial of genocide in the Balkan country to counter attempts by Bosnia’s Serbs to deny the scope of the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, Europe's only post-World War II genocide. The killings of more than 8,000 Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica was declared a genocide by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court for Former Yugoslavia. Both Bosnian Serbs and Serbia, which backed the Bosnian Serbs during the war, have called the massacre a crime, refusing to acknowledge it was genocide.

The top international official in Bosnia has outlawed denial of genocide in the Balkan country.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The top international official in Bosnia on Friday banned denial of genocide in the Balkan country to counter attempts by Bosnia’s Serbs to deny the scope of the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, Europe's only post-World War II genocide. The killings of more than 8,000 Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica was declared a genocide by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court for Former Yugoslavia.

A German diplomat has been chosen to head a powerful international body in Bosnia that oversees implementation of a 1995 peace agreement that ended a devastating war in the Balkan country.

North Macedonian epidemiologist Dragan Danilovski compared the current vaccine situation in the Western Balkans to the inequalities seen during the 1911 sinking of the Titanic. Serbia is the only Western Balkan nation to receive vaccine shots so far, getting deliveries from Pfizer-BioNTech and the Russian-developed Sputnik V vaccine. However, Serbia does not have enough doses to begin mass vaccinations, as only 25,000 shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 2,400 of the Russian vaccine have arrived. “Throughout the pandemic, the EU has shown that we treat the Western Balkans as privileged partners,” said EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi. “I trust (the Russian vaccine), I don’t trust the commercial narratives that are coming from the West,” Milorad Dodik, Bosnian Serb's leader, declared before he was hospitalized with coronavirus.

Bosnian Serb member of the tripartite Presidency of Bosnia Milorad Dodik, right, welcomes Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the start of their meeting in the capital Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Kemal Softic)SARAJEVO – SARAJEVO, Bosnia-An Orthodox icon presented to Russia's foreign minister had not been stolen from the Ukraine, the office of Bosnia's Serb leader said Tuesday, amid an international diplomatic spat over its origins. The presiding Serb member of Bosnia’s three-member presidency, Milorad Dodik, gifted the gilded icon to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he visited Bosnia on Dec. 14. Russia’s foreign ministry said Saturday it would return the icon to the Bosnian Serbs for an international police investigation about its origin. The statement did not say how Dodik came to possess the religious artwork depicting the .... or how it was brought to Bosnia.

(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has added 1,092 new coronavirus cases in a resurgence that is erasing hard-won epidemiological gains and eroding public confidence in the government’s ability to handle the outbreak. It would deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Preliminary data on U.S. deaths show the coronavirus pandemic contributing to a 15% or more increase in deaths over last year. ___MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials have reported a new daily high in confirmed coronavirus cases as the country awaits its first shipment of vaccine. ___WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation is reporting 151 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths related to COVID-19.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, listens Bosnian Serb official Milorad Dodik, who is the member of Bosnia's multi-ethnic presidency during a press conference after their talks in the capital Sarajevo, Bosnia, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. Lavrov is on a two-day visit to Bosnia. (AP Photo/Kemal Softic)MOSCOW – Russia said Saturday it will return an Orthodox icon presented to the Russian foreign minister in Bosnia, a gift that has triggered a protest from Ukraine. The presiding Serb member of Bosnia’s three-member presidency, Milorad Dodik, gave the icon to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he visited Sarajevo earlier this week. On Saturday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said the icon would be returned to Bosnia pending an Interpol probe to clarify its origins.

LJUBLJANA – Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s reelection on Friday, saying Joe Biden would be a weak leader. With a tweet, Jansa added his name to a list of regional leaders who have openly supported Trump during the election campaign. Go, win, Donald Trump,” Jansa said. Also Friday, the Serb member of Bosnia's three-member presidency, Milorad Dodik, urged Serbs living in the U.S. to vote for Trump. Right-wing conservatives in Eastern and Central Europe, like Orban, Vucic and Jansa, have sometimes copied Trump’s style of leadership.

SARAJEVO – SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Bosnian Serb authorities on Wednesday held an official commemoration for a top former wartime leader, despite his war crimes conviction by a U.N. court. The gathering illustrates the continued Bosnian Serb denial of their wartime leaders’ role in the atrocities committed against non-Serbs during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. A leading Bosnian Serb official, Milorad Dodik, who is the member of Bosnia's multi-ethnic presidency, praised Krajsnik's “historic role” in establishing the Serb entity in Bosnia, according to Bosnian Serb broadcaster RTRS. He was a close aide to Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who was convicted of genocide by the Hague tribunal. Bosnian Serb forces took control of large swaths of Bosnian territory, expelling Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslims, and Croats from their homes and brutally killing thousands.

In this grab taken from video migrants who were directed off a railroad by police blocking the path gather, in Bosanska Otoka, Bosnia, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Bosnias quarreling ethnic leaders have put migrants amassed in the country while seeking entry to Europe at the center of a a political tug-of-war. Krajina authorities began enforcing their decision to ban all new migrants arrivals in the last three days. Migrants mostly enter Bosnia across the Drina River, on its eastern border with Serbia. Local authorities in Krajina have long accused Bosnia's central government of subjecting the migration crisis to political infighting and failing to provide them with any practical help.