US imposes sanctions on President of Republika Srpska for obstructing peace accord

The United States on Tuesday slapped sanctions on Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, for actively obstructing the 1995 peace agreement that ended the war in the Balkans.

Dodik was designated for his role in defying the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in violation of the rule of law, thereby actively obstructing the peace agreement known as the Dayton Accords, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

The President of Republika Srpska, one of two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina, was also designated for conduct that poses a significant risk of actively obstructing the Dayton Accords, the statement added.

As a result of the action, any property or interest in property of Dodik within U.S. jurisdiction is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with him.

"By obstructing the Dayton Accords, Milorad Dodik poses a significant threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina," said John Smith, a senior official of the U.S. Treasury Department.

"Today's action underscores the U.S. commitment to the Dayton Accords and supports international efforts for the country's continued European integration," Smith said.

The Dayton Accord was signed in 1995 to end three-and-a-half years of war in the Balkans. It creates two entities of roughly equal size, one for Bosnian Muslims and Croats, the other for Serbs.

source: Xinhua