Bosnia: U.S. imposes sanctions on Republika Srpska's president Dodik
Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
Publication Date | 17 January 2017 |
Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bosnia: U.S. imposes sanctions on Republika Srpska's president Dodik, 17 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a45aa.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 17, 2017
Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions against Republika Srpska's nationalist leader, Milorad Dodik, saying that he is actively obstructing efforts to implement the 1995 Dayton accords that ended the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The sanctions imposed on January 17 by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) allow U.S. authorities to block access by Dodik to any of his property or assets under U.S. jurisdiction.
Dodik, the president of Bosnia's autonomous Serb entity, has been criticized by Western powers for pushing forward with so-called Republika Srpska Statehood celebrations on January 9.
The celebrations were staged in Banja Luka in violation of a court order from Bosnia-Herzegovina's capital, Sarajevo, and warnings from the West that the activities threaten the country's unity and constitutional order.
John Smith, the acting director of OFAC, said that "by obstructing the Dayton accords, Milorad Dodik poses a significant threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina."
With reporting by Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website