Bosnia: Muslims step up demands to abolish Serb entity

Sarajevo/Belgrade, 1 August(AKI) - Bosnian Muslims on Friday welcomed the indictment of Radovan Karadzic before the Hague-based United Nations war crimes tribunal and stepped up demands for the abolition of his project, the separate Serb entity, Republika Srpska (RS).

The territory was created in the Dayton Peace Accord that ended the war in 1995 inside what is now Bosnia-Herzegovina.

A move to abolish it has been revived by the Muslim member of the entity's three-man presidency, Haris Silajdzic.

But RS' Prime Minister Milorad Dodik rejected the proposal saying it was an attempt by Muslims to punish the RS and its first president Karadzic.

“It’s definitely clear that the RS is not part of such a scenario, because she has her legitimacy,“ Dodik said.

“The problem is that some people in Sarajevo (should) wake up, look left and right and realise that the RS is there. It will remain there permanently."

A defiant Karadzic appeared before the UN tribunal on Thursday charged with 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He told the court he would defend himself and enter a plea before the court on 29 August.

The event was carried live by television stations in Bosnia and Serbia and many reacted emotionally to his court appearance.

“I cannot even look at him,â€

What effect does an agreement signed in 1995 (Clinton regime) have on the Hague-based World Court trying Karadzic for genocide? Probably nothing unless there are some documents that we gave him amnesty to come to this country. I am strongly beginning to feel the US should start keeping its fingers and military out of places with despots and dictators and let them solve their own problems.