Peaceful bid for secession: Republika Srpska drafts new agreement

The authorities of Republika Srpska, one of the two constituent parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, decided on Thursday to create a particular working group. This group's task will be to draft an agreement with the government in Sarajevo on the peaceful secession of Republika Srpska from the rest of the country.

The agreement will be presented to the local parliament of this predominantly Serb-inhabited part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A week earlier, on the day the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica, the Republika Srpska government announced a plan for the "peaceful resolution" of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "With the passing of the resolution, the existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be signed off," warned Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik at the time.

Dodik also stated, "because of all the lies about Srebrenica, the municipality's residents want to change its name." Contrary to facts, he denied that genocide had occurred in the vicinity of Srebrenica.

Dodik had previously announced that "the authorities of Republika Srpska are already showing determination in implementing actions aimed at independence" for this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In July 1995, in the vicinity of Srebrenica, which was a so-called safe zone under UN supervision until its capture by Serbs, more than 8,000 men and boys, residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, were murdered. The remains of about 1,000 victims are still being sought.

Republika Srpska includes, among other areas, places where genocide and ethnic cleansing occurred, including the city of Srebrenica.