Nato’s secretary general slammed the separatist moves by the political leaders of Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska on March 10, saying they are unacceptable and that they pose a direct threat to the country’s stability.

Mark Rutte visited Bosnia and met with the three members of its presidency amid growing instability in the country where Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, and his SNSD ruling party, took steps towards legal secession at the end of February.

“I hear concerns about the security situation. But let’s be clear this is not 1992. And we shall not allow a security vacuum to emerge. The international community is here and committed to continuing our strong support including through EUFOR and Nato,” Rutte said.

“I know that EUFOR is fully prepared to uphold a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina ... We shall not allow hard won peace to be jeopardised,” he added during a press conference in Sarajevo.

Rutte said that Nato supports the international community’s high representative Christian Schmidt and the Dayton peace agreement that ended the bloody 1992-1995 Bosnian war.

“Your sovereignty and your territorial integrity as set out in the Dayton Accords remain fundamental to both the security and the stability of the region. So, Bosnia and Herzegovina can count on Nato's unwavering support. But let me come back to what is really my main message today. You have got to solve this. The three of you. I really believe this is your appointment with history,” Rutte said addressing the presidency’s members.

Dodik responded to Rutte’s statement, saying he was wrong to support Schmidt, whose legitimacy Republika Srpska does not recognise.

“The OHR is funded by USAID, which has been designated as a criminal organisation by the new US government. By the logic of things, it [the OHR] is a criminal organisation. I believe that with the agility of the new American organisation, this type of costs and support for such an organisation will also come into play,” Dodik said as quoted by N1.

He added that he expects the administration of US President Donald Trump to “clear the trash” left by his predecessor Joe Biden in Bosnia.

Dodik was supported by Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic who said that the whole world is always blaming Republika Srpska for everything that happens.

However, Vucic cancelled Dodik’s planned address to the Serbian parliament in mid-March, saying that it would not be possible due to the protests in Belgrade.

Vucic also accused the EU of attempting to show strength in Bosnia after failing to do so in Ukraine. He accused the EU of rejecting the Dayton peace accord. Dodik and Vucic claim that it is Republika Srpska that is implementing the real Dayton agreement, while it is being violated by the Muslim-Croat Federation and the international community.