BOSNIA - OSCE SECRETARY GENERAL PROCLAIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000507 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUR FOR DICARLO, EUR/SCE (HOH, FOOKS, STINCHCOMB),EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - OSCE SECRETARY GENERAL PROCLAIMS NUETRALITY ON RS SECESSION Classified By: DCM Judith B. Cefkin. Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragaph four below. ¶2. (SBU) OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, who is on two-day visit to Bosnia, made several unhelpful comments to the press about the possible secession of Republika Srspka. The comments appeared in the March 18 edition of the main Bosniak daily, Dnevni Avaz. Asked for his views about "voices for secession" in the RS growing "louder and louder," de Brichambaut replied, "The "beauty of a democratic country is that its citizens can say what they think and can decide which politician to trust. Some important decisions need to be checked with citizens before a decision is made." In a follow-up question asking whether he supported RS secession, de Brichambaut added, "I am totally neutral. That is none of my business. That is a decision that is connected with the political process in a country." Recovering somewhat, de Brichambaut concluded, "All I can say is that if that continues, there would be consequences for Bosnia and Herzegovina." ¶3. (C) We queried OSCE about de Brichambaut's comments. OSCE officials confirmed that he was quoted accurately in the press but had misunderstood the question. The Secretary General is in Banja Luka today, and OSCE officials plan another press opporunity to "clarify" his remarks. We welcome OSCE plans to do so. Action Request -------------- ¶4. (C) With this in mind, we believe it would be useful for USOSCE to be instructed to make clear U.S. views about the rhetoric and claims made by the RS government and senior RS officials over the last several week at the March 19 meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. The following are points that we recommend be drawn from in framing a U.S. intervention: RS Claims to Self-Determination and RS Secession: -- The statements and actions Republika Srspka officials and government bodies, in the past few months in particular, has given cause for concern to the U.S. -- The February 21 Republika Srpska National Assembly resolution asserted that international community recognition of an independent Kosovo has created a new right for the RS to self-determination. -- This claim followed equally provocative statements in the January 26 Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) Main Board conclusions implying that the RS already enjoyed the right to secede under Dayton -- We want to make clear that the U.S. rejects RS claims that the RS can secede from Bosnia. There can be no referendum on secession, there can be no secession. -- We have made clear to the leaders of the RS that we consider the RSNA resolution anti-Dayton, unconstitutional, and unacceptable. This is a message RS officials should hear from all OSCE countries and officials. -- Bosnia and Herzegovina was recognized by the international community in April 1992. It is not a Dayton construct. The entities, including Republika Srspka, have no existence outside BiH. If Raised - Abolition of Entities: -- We accept Dayton, which established the two entities. We reject politically irresponsible calls for the unilateral abolition of those entities, and we have publicly criticized them in the past. -- Nonetheless, these calls do not provide a justification for RS claims that it enjoys the right to self-determination. RS leaders know that the Dayton Constitution contains the necessary protections for them to block any proposal to change the constitution and alter Bosnia's current two entity structure. -- Rather than use their positions to responsibly remind their constituents of these protections, RS leaders have chosen to deliberately stoke their constituents fears by making irresponsible statements about an assault on the RS that is not going to and cannot happen. Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) While we accept OSCE's explanation that Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut had misunderstood questions about a possible RS secession referendum, his comments were unhelpful and ill-timed. Despite his message that the RS would face consequences were it to pursue a referendum on secession and his plans to correct the record, we fear that politicians and the public alike would conclude that a segment of the international community does not care if a referendum takes place in the RS. This is exactly the wrong kind of message to send to Bosnia at a time when RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and other Bosnian Serb politicians are working to undermine state-level institutions at every opportunity and are continuing to advance their nationalist policy both in rhetoric and in practice. ENGLISH