HAMILTON, Canada
The UN on Thursday expressed concern about growing tension in Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling for peace and stability.
"We call on all political leaders to fully support and facilitate the work of state institutions in order to consolidate peace and ensure stability throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Urging "relevant actors to exercise restraint," Dujarric them to "refrain from divisive discourse and actions and instead to commit to constructive dialogue and cooperation."
Dujarric's statement comes amid escalating tensions after a Bosnian court last month sentenced Milorad Dodik, president of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Serb entity of the Republika Srpska (RS), to a year in prison and barred him from politics for six years for defying the authority of the top international official overseeing the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, that ended the Bosnia war.
Following the ruling, the RS National Assembly voted to ban state institutions -- including the Supreme Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, the Prosecutor's Office, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) --- from operating within the RS entity.
Dodik, who signed measures defying Bosnia’s Constitution, said he would not comply with court or prosecutor's office summons once the disputed laws take effect, claiming he would be protected by RS police.
National media have described the actions as a "coup," while the Bosnian Constitutional Court annulled his controversial decisions.