It has been a long time since the United States paid serious high-level attention to Bosnia. After the 1995 Dayton Accords ended the genocidal horrors, Washington moved on to other priorities and largely left oversight of the peace agreement to Europe. Now it’s time to seriously re-engage before the deal unravels.
Fortunately, an immediate return to widespread violence seems unlikely. But Dennis Blair, the new director of national intelligence, warned Congress recently that Bosnia’s survival as a multi-ethnic state is seriously in doubt, with tensions at their highest levels in years. The deal that ended the war created a decentralized political system that has entrenched rather than eradicated deep divisions. Bosnia’s political leaders continue to prey on their countrymen’s ethnic prejudices and insecurities. Haris Silajdzic — the Muslim in Bosnia’s three-member presidency — has called for the Serbian Republic inside of Bosnia to be abolished. The Bosnian Serb prime minister, Milorad Dodik, who is supported by Russia, has talked about secession.
Bosnia’s people ultimately must take responsibility for what their country is to become. But the United States, which led the Dayton negotiations, has a vested interest in making sure the peace deal does not erode further. So does the European Union, which has 2,000 peacekeepers and a special representative in Bosnia.
The United States and its allies must craft a plan to salvage Dayton’s promise. It can use the lure of eventual E.U. membership to get Bosnians to write a new constitution that will finally create a functioning multi-ethnic state. We are reassured that President Obama’s aides are beginning to discuss Bosnia. The new president’s commitment to aggressive diplomacy could help ensure that Bosnia’s horrors are never seen again. www.nytimes.com