US hopes to walk Bosnia ‘back from the cliff’ as Serbs step up secession threat

The Guardian says The US is determined to walk Bosnia “back from the cliff” amid secessionist threats from Serb nationalists and is exploring sanctions among other options, a senior state department official has said.

Derek Chollet, a senior adviser to secretary of state Antony Blinken, was speaking ahead of a meeting on Friday of the Bosnian Serb assembly, which is expected to vote on whether to begin the process of opting out of the Bosnian army, judiciary and tax system.

Such steps, called for by the nationalist leader Milorad Dodik, would represent a substantial step towards secession. There is likely to be a six-month delay before the assembly’s decisions take effect, but a vote could start a clock ticking towards a possible return to conflict.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/10/us-hopes-to-walk-bosnia-back-from-the-cliff-as-serbs-step-up-secession-threat