Silajdžić blasts RS from UN podium

Haris Silajdzic has called on the UN to "correct the mistakes" made during the war in Bosnia. Silajdzic, the presiding member of the Bosnian presidency, also demanded that the UN send the message that "genocide cannot be rewarded". Silajdzic blasts RS from UN podium While addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the Bosnian Muslim politician said that the Dayton peace agreement, that ended the Bosnian war, was never meant to “maintain ethnic apartheid in Bosnia-Herzegovina”. "The implementation of the Dayton Accords did not cause this to happen, but the abuse of its principles. It would be a mistake to recognize this result as legal,” he told the leaders gathered for the annual UN GA session. Silajdzic also quoted the International Red Cross Committee data which says that "200,000 people were killed during the Bosnian war, 12,000 of them children, while 50,000 women were raped, with 2.2 million people forced to leave their homes". "That was true genocide,” he said. Silajdzic added that the war culminated in July 1995 in Srebrenica. He referred to the International Court of Justice’s verdict which stated that Bosnian Serbs proceeded with a plan to execute as many Bosnian Muslims capable of serving in the military, and that "those were the acts of genocide committed by the members of the Republic of Srpska (RS) army in and around the town of Srebrenica from July 13, 1995, until the end of the war". "The time has come," Silajdzic continued, "to correct the mistakes. Rewarding genocide could send a dangerous message to the world that would most certainly jeopardize the chances for permanent peace and stability in Bosnia and in the rest of the region.” "Those who seek justice are not the enemies of peace. They are the keepers of peace,” he said. One day ahead of Silajdzic's speech in New York, the Serb representative in the Bosnian presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic sent a letter to the UN General Assembly. In it, he stated that the address would be Silajdzic's personal opinion and not an official position of Bosnia-Herzegovina, adding that a three-member presidency did not reach a consensus on his appearance before the assembly. After that, Silajdzic sent another letter refuting Radmanovic's claims, and saying that the Bosnian presidency "authorized him to represent the country" in a May session. In Banja Luka, Serb officials have reacted angrily today, with Radmanovic and RS President Rajko Kuzmanovic requesting an emergency parliamentary session to discuss Silajdzic’s speech. Apart from the address itself, which contained a series of grave accusations against the RS, one of the items on the agenda will be a recent declaration adopted by the Bosnian Muslim Party of Democratic Action (SDA, which calls for reinstatement of the constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The RS lawmakers are also set to debate the situation in the country in the wake of the latest develpoments. RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik voiced his supported for the Kuzmanovic-Radmanovic initiative, stating that Silajdzic’s speech before the UN General Assembly was “yet another attack on the RS and on the Dayton Accord”. Silajdzic addresses the UN GA (Beta)

Silajdžić blasts RS from UN podium

While addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the Bosnian Muslim politician said that the Dayton peace agreement, that ended the Bosnian war, was never meant to “maintain ethnic apartheid in Bosnia-Herzegovina”.

"The implementation of the Dayton Accords did not cause this to happen, but the abuse of its principles. It would be a mistake to recognize this result as legal,” he told the leaders gathered for the annual UN GA session.

Silajdžić also quoted the International Red Cross Committee data which says that "200,000 people were killed during the Bosnian war, 12,000 of them children, while 50,000 women were raped, with 2.2 million people forced to leave their homes".

"That was true genocide,” he said.

Silajdžić added that the war culminated in July 1995 in Srebrenica. He referred to the International Court of Justice’s verdict which stated that Bosnian Serbs proceeded with a plan to execute as many Bosnian Muslims capable of serving in the military, and that "those were the acts of genocide committed by the members of the Republic of Srpska (RS) army in and around the town of Srebrenica from July 13, 1995, until the end of the war".

"The time has come," Silajdžić continued, "to correct the mistakes. Rewarding genocide could send a dangerous message to the world that would most certainly jeopardize the chances for permanent peace and stability in Bosnia and in the rest of the region.”

"Those who seek justice are not the enemies of peace. They are the keepers of peace,” he said.

One day ahead of Silajdžić's speech in New York, the Serb representative in the Bosnian presidency Nebojša Radmanović sent a letter to the UN General Assembly.

In it, he stated that the address would be Silajdžić's personal opinion and not an official position of Bosnia-Herzegovina, adding that a three-member presidency did not reach a consensus on his appearance before the assembly.

After that, Silajdžić sent another letter refuting Radmanović's claims, and saying that the Bosnian presidency "authorized him to represent the country" in a May session.

In Banja Luka, Serb officials have reacted angrily today, with Radmanović and RS President Rajko Kuzmanović requesting an emergency parliamentary session to discuss Silajdžić’s speech.

Apart from the address itself, which contained a series of grave accusations against the RS, one of the items on the agenda will be a recent declaration adopted by the Bosnian Muslim Party of Democratic Action (SDA, which calls for reinstatement of the constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The RS lawmakers are also set to debate the situation in the country in the wake of the latest develpoments.

RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik voiced his supported for the Kuzmanović-Radmanović initiative, stating that Silajdžić’s speech before the UN General Assembly was “yet another attack on the RS and on the Dayton Accord”.