Today, the European Union Force (EUFOR) reserve contingent continued deploying its personnel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a plane carrying Czech contingent members landing at Sarajevo Airport.

Upon their arrival in BiH, EUFOR Deputy Commander Lorenzo Dal Maso greeted the soldiers, announcing that troop reinforcements from EUFOR would continue in the days ahead.

The arrival of EUFOR reserve forces in BiH began on March 11, with announcements that soldiers, vehicles, and helicopters would come from the Czech Republic, Italy, and Romania.

It was previously noted that ground troops would enter through the Svilaj and Bijača border crossings located in the north and south of the country, while air support would arrive via Sarajevo airport.

EUFOR has stated its intent to temporarily augment its forces as a precautionary measure, in response to rising tensions stemming from the implementation of unconstitutional laws in the Bosnian entity of Republika Srpska (RS).

At the end of February, the RS Assembly enacted a law prohibiting the operations of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, which oversees the appointments of all judges and prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the RS territory.

This legislation was passed following a first-instance court ruling that sentenced RS President Milorad Dodik to one year in prison and a six-year prohibition from holding office.

Dodik was convicted for undermining the authority of the High Representative in BiH, Kristian Schmidt, and for enacting a decree to implement laws that the High Representative had already annulled, which sought to obstruct decisions made by the Constitutional Court of BiH and the High Representative within the territory of the RS.

Subsequently, the Constitutional Court of BiH issued a temporary measure to halt the enforcement of these laws, yet RS authorities declared their unwavering commitment to their implementation.

The ongoing deployment of EUFOR reserve forces coincides with a session of the RS National Assembly, during which discussions regarding a draft of the new RS Constitution are taking place.

The proposed new constitution aims for the RS authorities to declare RS as a state for the Serb people, enshrine the right to self-determination, establish its own military, and dissolve the Council of Peoples. Additionally, RS lawmakers are anticipated to deliberate on the creation of a special court and prosecutor’s office on Wednesday to “uphold the constitutional order.”

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