United States escalates financial restrictions against Bosnian Serb official Dodik
The U.S. has taken a stern stance against Milorad Dodik, the Bosnian Serb leader, and his associates, with the Treasury Department adding two individuals and seven businesses to the sanctions list. These entities have allegedly been funding Dodik and his son, Igor. The U.S. declared that they will keep exposing the shady dealings that allow this family to misuse public funds for personal benefits.
The Treasury Department alleges that Dodik, backed by Russia, used his position to grant government contracts to private firms he and his son controlled.
Being a member of the Bosnian Serbs in the Tripartite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dodik has often threatened to secede his territorial entity, Republika Srpska, from the Bosnian state. The U.S. has accused Dodik of engaging in corrupt practices and making repeated attempts to destabilize and jeopardize the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. His actions pose a threat to the Dayton Peace Agreement of 1995, which brought an end to the three-year war in Bosnia-Herzegovina that claimed around 100,000 lives.
Under this peace agreement signed in Dayton, U.S., the division of Bosnia into a Croatian-Muslim Federation and the Republika Srpska was established, each holding roughly half of the state territory. A Tripartite Presidency, comprising one Croatian, one Muslim, and one Serbian representative, was designated to lead the two entities.
