The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department has lifted sanctions against the ousted president of the Bosnian Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik and against Željka Cvijanović, a member of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian media reported, quoted by BTA.
Dodik's family members, his companies and close associates have also been removed from the sanctions list. This decision is related to an unofficial agreement between Milorad Dodik and the new US administration and was certain to happen, notes the Bosnian edition of the regional television channel En1.
It represents a significant change in US sanctions policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, considering that Dodik has been under US sanctions since 2017 for obstructing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia (1992-1995), and for corrupt activities.
In addition to Dodik, known for his pro-Russian and nationalist positions, 48 other individuals and entities that were previously sanctioned under the Western Balkans Sanctions Program have been removed from the sanctions list, Radio Free Europe points out.
The US regularly reviews its sanctions to ensure that they promote the country's economic goals, as well as goals related to national security and foreign policy, which is also discussed in this case, notes Free Europe.
“The constructive actions of the Republika Srpska parliament in recent weeks should improve the level of stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and will enable a partnership with the United States based on mutual interests, economic potential, and shared prosperity. We will continue to work closely with political and other stakeholders across the political spectrum in Bosnia and Herzegovina to promote shared priorities“, the decision states.
According to the Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two semi-autonomous parts - the Republika Srpska, populated mainly by Bosnian Serbs, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (a Muslim-Croat federation), where Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) and Bosnian Croats live. Each part has its own government, parliament and police, but the two are linked by common state-level institutions, including a judiciary, army, security services and tax administration.
In August, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina upheld the decision of the Central Election Commission to terminate the presidential mandate of Milorad Dodik after he was convicted of failing to comply with the decisions of the High Representative of the international community in the country. Dodik's sentence is one year in prison and a six-year ban from holding public office. He served the year in prison, as the law allows.
Earlier this month, the parliament of Bosnia's Republika Srpska appointed Ana Trišić Babić, a close ally of Dodik, as interim president. She will hold the post for one month until new presidential elections are held in Republika Srpska on 23 November.