We want right to a confederation with Serbia: Bosnian Serb leader

​​​​​​SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik reaffirmed his stance Thursday about the country’s political structure, stating that the Serb entity should have the right to a confederation with Serbia.

It came amid escalating tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where disputes about governance, autonomy and international oversight continue to challenge the country's post-war stability.

The 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War, established Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state composed of two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS). Disagreements, however, over the interpretation and implementation of the agreement remain a source of contention.

Dodik argued that if FBiH has the right to a confederal relationship with Croatia, then Republika Srpska should have similar ties with Serbia.

"Our right is less than that of the FBiH, and we want to have the right to a confederation with Serbia," he said at a news conference.

Defending Dayton Agreement

"We are not fighting against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), or Bosniaks, but we are fighting for our rights that are written in the Dayton Peace Agreement," said Dodik.

He claimed that Bosnia and Herzegovina has undermined the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Ministers while weakening its presidency as an executive body.

"All this shows that Bosnia and Herzegovina is unnecessary. Within Dayton, we will know how to defend our Dayton position and will determine our policies accordingly," said Dodik.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is ‘state union, not a state’

Dodik reiterated his belief that Republika Srpska representatives, in collaboration with institutions in the two entities, are fulfilling their duties while safeguarding RS national interests.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina is an agreed state union, not a state. It does not have internal sovereignty. The territorial sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided between the entities," he said.

He further asserted that "the time for usurpations is over."

"It is time to put everything in order," stressed Dodik.

His comments are expected to draw criticism from Bosniak and pro-Bosnian political leaders, as well as international officials, who view rhetoric as a challenge to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The EU and the US have warned against moves that could threaten the fragile balance established by the Dayton Agreement.