United States sanctiones two Bosnian politicians

The department said sanctions were imposed against Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina President Marinko Cavara and Health Minister in Republika Srpska Allanic.

After the 1990s war, which left behind more than 100,000 people dead, Bosnia was divided into two autonomous entities -- Republika Srpska and the Federation dominated by Bosniaks and Croats -- linked by a central government in Sarajevo.

Today's action reinforces the United States' commitment to promoting accountability in the Western Balkans, including those officials who undermine the processes or democratic institutions in this region, and thus threaten the peace, sustainability and progress of their countries.

Stressing that today's action shows the steadfast commitment of the United States to Bosnia and Herzegovina's sustainability and progress, Treasury Department Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said Marinko Chavara and Alain Serbic were aiming to follow the ethno-nationalist and political agendas at the expense of democratic institutions and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

Marinko Chavara, responsible for the appointment of judges of the Federation Constitutional Court, but since 2019, has refused to do so, blocking the functioning of “panel for vital interests of the tribunal”, an institution dealing with cases raised by MPs from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament.

Allan Serbic, meanwhile, has reportedly led efforts to adopt the Law on Health and Health Products that creates an agency only within Republika Srpska and that the creation of such an agency “prevents or threatens the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that “these destabilizing activities damage the future Bosnia has chosen to be part of the Euro-Atlantic community...”, he said in a communique, praising that Bosnia is facing its most serious crisis since 1995.

The ruling “coalition in the Republika Srpska entity is moving to create parallel structures that undermine the authority of state-level institutions and leaders of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of Bosnia and Herzegovina are undermining the country's democratic processes”, he said.

Earlier this year, the United States sanctioned several other Bosniak politicians, including member of the country's tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik “for corrupt activities” and “continued threats to Bosnia and Herzegovina's and Herzegovina's entire territorial integrity”.