Mladic Funeral Sparks Bosnia-Serbia Rift

Bosnia and Herzegovina expelled two Serbian diplomats and suspended the signing of a planned regional agreement with Serbia in protest against the public funeral of former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic in Belgrade.

Mladic, who was convicted of genocide in Srebrenica and war crimes, died on 27 August in prison in The Hague. Thousands of people, including the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church and government officials, attended his funeral on Monday.

Bosnian Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic gave two Serbian embassy staff members 48 hours to leave the country. He also announced that Bosnia would not sign a memorandum on good-neighborly relations because, in his view, Serbia had crossed all red lines. Bosnia will also withdraw most of its staff from its embassy in Belgrade.

Konakovic also criticized the Serbian government’s inaction after fans unfurled a banner at a soccer match celebrating Mladic and referencing the site of the Potocari massacre.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also commented on the events, describing footage from the funeral and the presence of Serbian officials as shocking. She warned that failing to confront the country’s dark history could seriously jeopardize Serbia’s efforts to join the European Union.

(Reuters, max)