DODIK: THE POLICE WILL NOT YIELD TO OCCUPYING FORCE, THE COURT, THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, OR SCHMIDT

EAST SARAJEVO, April 23 (SRNA) – The President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik stated that the entity’s police force will not retreat in the face of any challenges when it comes to defending the institutions and the Constitution, accusing Sarajevo of spreading falsehoods to deepen the political crisis and provoke further escalation—an effort he claims will not succeed.

“Does anyone seriously believe that the police, whose duty it is to protect our institutions, will yield to the occupying force known as SIPA, the Court, the Prosecutor’s Office, and Schmidt? That would be foolish,” Dodik said at a press conference in East Sarajevo. He stressed that Republika Srpska’s police will not bow to what he called unconstitutional institutions. “You can't imprison 5,000 police officers or 1.2 million Serbs. We know they want to drive us out, but what they'll achieve is forcing the entire Republika Srpska out of BiH,” Dodik said. He further claimed that those who harbor hatred toward Serbs are seeking revenge, referring to constant references to the war crimes of the 1990s. “The narrative of their mythical suffering is entirely false. They didn’t suffer more than Serbs or Croats in BiH. They lie and distort the facts every single day,” Dodik said. He questioned the fate of Serbs who lived in Sarajevo, drawing comparisons between different communities' suffering. “Your white scarves may be a symbol of grief, but Serbian black ones are no less sorrowful. We can’t accept a narrative that honors only one kind of suffering. We respect the pain of every mother, but their problem is that they only acknowledge the pain of mothers with white scarves,” he added. Dodik accused some political actors in Sarajevo of attempting to dismantle Republika Srpska through opposition channels, asserting that the ruling structure in the entity remains clear. “There is no place for the Court, Prosecutor’s Office, or SIPA within Republika Srpska. At some point, we may gather 30,000 people, block those buildings, and drive them out with eggs,” he said. He insisted that Republika Srpska is not preparing for any conflict, stating that the current developments are political rather than military. “We are not going to war. We don’t need weapons. What we’re defending is sacred to us. If there were even a modicum of respect for Republika Srpska, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Schmidt imposes decisions, and a Muslim judge rules on them,” Dodik said. He claimed that representatives in Sarajevo are incapable of political dialogue with Republika Srpska officials, which is why he is seen as an obstacle. “I feel great in East Sarajevo. That other place is more like the Middle East Sarajevo. There’s no force that can impose anything on Republika Srpska. It’s a lie that we want secession. We support the Dayton Agreement. I have no interest in the Federation—only Republika Srpska concerns me,” Dodik said. He said that the current structure of BiH has severely harmed Republika Srpska, particularly through project blockades. “They have slandered and lied about Serbs being monsters. Those who historically killed us now want to portray themselves as righteous. They’ve been threatening war for three months. Serbs do not want war. We don’t want war—but go ahead and try,” Dodik concluded.