According to the statement made by the Embassy of the United States of America (USA) in Sarajevo on January 8, 2024; In violation of the Dayton Peace Accords, two F-16 warplanes will fly over the country against “separatist activities” in Serbian regions, thus emphasizing US support for Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the statement, this flight will be part of the bilateral air-ground training exercise to be carried out together with the national armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in areas not controlled by the Serbs in the north of Bosnia.[i]
The US Embassy in Sarajevo made the following statement on the subject:[ii]
“This bilateral training is an example of advanced military cooperation that contributes to peace and security in the Western Balkans, as well as demonstrating the United States’ determination to ensure the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the face of anti-Dayton and separatist activities. The United States has underlined that the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not recognize the right to secede, and will take action if anyone tries to change this fundamental element of Dayton. On the evening of January 8, 2024, Bosnian Serbs will begin to celebrate their self-declared statehood. However, this was banned by the Bosnian court on grounds of discrimination.”
Washington brokered the Dayton Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, in which nearly 100,000 people died and two million were displaced. The agreement divided Bosnia into a Serb Republic and a federation with a central government shared by Croats and Bosnians.[iii]
This US military exercise in Bosnia emerges as a reaction to the separatist activities in the Serbian region led by Milorad Dodik. Dodik’s calls for secession in the Republic of Serbia are contrary to the basic principles of the Dayton Agreement and also threaten stability in the region.
The fact that the USA brokered the Dayton Agreement, emphasizes the importance this country attaches to stability and security in the region. It can be argued that the military exercise, which demonstrates the US’s commitment to the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reflects Washington’s intention to actively intervene in political and security developments in the region.
The “statehood day” to be celebrated in the Republic of Serbia under the leadership of Milorad Dodik and the defiance of the Constitutional Court’s ban may increase political tensions within the country. Dodik’s defiance of court decisions can be considered as a challenge to the domestic legal system and the authority of the Dayton Agreement.
The USA reminds that the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not recognize the right to secede. This is a principle based on international law, and the message is conveyed that the USA may intervene if there is an attempt to change this principle.
The United States’ commitment to contribute to peace and security in the Balkans can be considered as a signal against instability and potential separatist threats in the region. This type of military cooperation could also have an impact on other countries in the region. As a result, such military demonstrations can lead to different reactions both within Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the international community. This is important for international relations, especially at a time when Russia tends to support Dodik.
[i] “US Fighter Jets to Fly over Bosnia in Warning to ‘Secessionist’ Serbs”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-fighter-jets-fly-over-bosnia-warning-secessionist-serbs-2024-01-08/, (Erişim Tarihi: 09.01.2023).
[ii] Ibıd.
[iii] Ibıd.
