Bosnia and Herzegovina withdraws some of its diplomatic staff from Belgrade after Ratko Mladić’s funeral

Bosnia and Herzegovina has announced the withdrawal of part of the diplomatic staff from its embassy in Belgrade following the funeral of Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb forces, held with military honors in Serbia. Several members of the Serbian government attended the ceremony.

Bosnian Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković said he would withdraw as many diplomats as possible without the approval of other state institutions. The ambassador and consul will remain in office, however, as their removal requires the approval of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite Presidency.

Konaković said that, if he had the authority, he would immediately sever diplomatic relations with Serbia. The decision comes amid international reactions to the ceremony, during which Mladić’s coffin was covered with the flags of Serbia and Republika Srpska, while the procession was escorted by motorcycle police and applauded by thousands of people.

The Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina warned that glorifying war criminals and denying genocide harms reconciliation. Croatia’s foreign minister called the honoring of Mladić incompatible with the values of the European Union.

Ratko Mladić died at the age of 83 in a cell in The Hague. Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017, he was found guilty, among other crimes, of the Srebrenica genocide, in which more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed, and of crimes committed during the siege of Sarajevo.ʻeaniveimonxyz1234567890abcd