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Urgent appeal on the political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dear Canadians,

Please help us reach out to Canada’s Members of Parliament in an appeal for Canada to condemn and sanction Mr. Milorad Dodik - the Serb Member of the Bosnian tripartite presidency who is destabilizing Bosnia and Herzegovina by withdrawing the Republika Srpska (RS) entity from state institutions, including border police, judicial institutions, and the armed force.

Mr. Dodik’s violation of the Dayton Accord Agreement and the broader rule of law in the country is likely to lead to another ethnic conflict if he is not stopped. The last Bosnian War in the 1990s that the Dayton Accord Agreement ended, resulted in the genocide of over 8000 innocent civilians in Srebrenica, deaths of 100,000 citizens, and displacement of over a million Bosnians – many of whom are proud Canadians.

As Canada is a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council created by the Dayton Accord Agreement that Mr. Dodik continues to undermine, we call upon the government of Canada to join its NATO allies in sanctioning and condemning Mr. Dodik and to collaborate with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s government authorities to ensure the preservation and stability of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Given the urgency and severity of the crisis, several European countries are currently considering sanctions against Mr. Dodik and Canada has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in this regard by joining the United States and playing a proactive and deterring role.

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Dear MP [recipient name will go here],

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Canadians are very alarmed by the ongoing political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina instigated by Mr. Milorad Dodik, the Serbian Member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite presidency. Through active destabilizing of the country and corrupt undertakings, Mr. Dodik is directly violating the Dayton Peace Accords that ended the Bosnian War in 1995. As Canada is a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council created by the aforementioned agreement, we call upon the Government of Canada to join its NATO allies in sanctioning and condemning Mr. Dodik and to collaborate with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s government authorities to ensure the preservation and stability of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Mr. Dodik’s secessionist activities and attacks on the broader rule of law in the country include his active push to withdraw Republika Srpska (RS) – the Serb entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina – from several critical state institutions, namely border police, judicial institutions, and the armed force. The UN has already called these actions active “secession,” while Canada’s allies have openly condemned Mr. Dodik, with the United States most recently imposing direct sanctions against him. Given the urgency and severity of the crisis, several European countries are also currently considering sanctions against Mr. Dodik and Canada has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in this regard by joining the United States and playing a proactive and deterring role.

If Mr. Dodik succeeds in breaking up the country and establishes an independent RS state, this will lead to ramifications extending far beyond the Western Balkans region and will have grave consequences, including a possibility of another massive-scale ethnic violence in a country that already suffered the largest genocide since World War II in Europe. The Bosnian War that occurred in the 1990s led to the killing of 100,000 Bosniaks and the displacement of another million that are dispersed globally, and include thousands of proud Canadian citizens.

As a NATO member, and a leader in international peace and humanitarian efforts, Canada’s sanctioning and strong condemnation of  Mr. Dodik, is urgently needed. Canada has historically played an instrumental role in upholding human rights and peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans, and our exceptional and exemplary commitment to peace and security globally has been at the forefront of our foreign policy – an approach immediately needed in Bosnia and Herzegovina today to prevent another wave of violence and ethnic cleansing.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]
[your jurisdiction will go here]

Key Points

Bosnian-Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina's presidency - Mr. Milorad Dodik - is destabilizing the country by withdrawing the Republika Srpska (RS) entity from state institutions, including border police, judicial institutions, and the armed force);
If Mr. Dodik is successful in creating an independent RS state, the consequences will be grave, extending far beyond Western Balkans;
Canada must condemn and sanction Mr. Dodik from secession to prevent another brutal war in the country;
Canada is a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council formed by the Dayton Peace Agreement (which stopped the Bosnian War in 1995) that Mr. Dodik continues to undermine;
Canada has a responsibility to act and join the United States and its allies in condemning and sanctioning Mr. Dodik.

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The Institute For Research of Genocide Canada (IGC) is a public scientific institution engaged in the analysis of crimes against peace, the crime of genocide, and other grave breaches of international law.

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