German Minister of State: ‘Dodik’s men threatened me with violence’

Dr Boris Varga, Columnist from Serbia for the The Geopost

German State Minister for Europe and Climate Anna Lührmannan, who has been declared persona non grata by the Republika Srpska government, said on Friday that she and her delegation had been threatened with violence by representatives of BiH President Milorad Dodik’s entity.

Lührmannan, who together with the Austrian minister had earlier on Friday announced that sanctions by both countries against RS leaders had come into force, wrote on Instagram that Dodik had again “demonstrated his destructive approach” towards the end of her programme in Banja Luka.

“His representatives threatened me and my delegation with violence. This is a sign of weakness. Dodik is increasingly isolated and does not have the support of the citizens of Republika Srpska”, said a senior German Foreign Ministry official.

Lührmannan added on Instagram that she had received “many messages of support from Banja Luka – people are ashamed of Dodik’s actions”.

“I have a clear message for all the people of the RS: we will continue to stand by you – on your path to prosperity, stability and the EU,” Lührmannan said.

She added that in Banjaluka she had “had a series of excellent meetings with civil society and the opposition”, where, she said, she had been “warmly welcomed”.

The Republika Srpska government declared Lührmannan persona non grata in the BiH entity after Germany and Austria imposed sanctions against Dodik and two other RS top officials, who were banned from entering the two countries. Earlier, Lührmannan and the Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs, Beata Meinl-Reisinger, announced that the German and Austrian sanctions had come into force.

Dodik, the President of the RS National Assembly Nenad Stevandić, and the Prime Minister of that BiH entity, Radovan Višković, are under investigation on suspicion of violating the constitutional order of BiH.

They are under central arrest in BiH for refusing to respond to summons for questioning in this investigation.

The government in the RS, led by the pro-Russian leader Dodik, is trying to overthrow the fundamental institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina through a series of unconstitutional decisions and laws.

Dodik, along with his family members and key political associates, is already on the US sanctions list and sanctions have been imposed by the UK.

He also refuses to accept the judgment of the BiH Court, which sentenced him at first instance to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity for disrespecting the decisions of the High Representative for BiH.

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