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Another major arms acquisition by politically controlled police in #Bosnia, months ahead of Oct elxns. HDZ controlled police in the Livno canton (aka Canton 10) appear to have acquired nearly 1000 "automatic rifles". Follows similar moves by Dodik govt. inforadar.ba/inforadar-sazn…
Police in the nearby the Herzegovina-Neretva canton, also controlled by the HDZ, announced in March they were likewise procuring $200,000 of new arms. Weeks later, they caused a near shooting incident w state police. reuters.com/article/us-eur…
So, the HDZ & SNSD have each made major arms acquisitions in last few months, both have direct ties to the Kremlin & both have explicitly threatened violence unless the Oct elxns go their way. Myself & other colleagues have warned of this for months, publicly & privately:
The Oct 2018 elxns in #BiH will not be free nor fair. There is growing likelihood of overt sabotage, fraud & manipulation, including thru the use of force, by the three entrenched nationalist blocs but in particular @Dragan_Covic's HDZ & Dodik's @SNSDDodik.
Officials in @OHR_BiH, @eubih, @euforbih, @USEmbassySJJ & other key stakeholders have been privy to this information for some time. It remains an open Q what, if any, contingency plans they have made. UK has made a small show of force but more is needed. thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-to-…
Specifically, EU & international officials need to make clear to Covic, Dodik & Izetbegovic that the consequences of any manipulation of the 2018 elxns will be swift & severe. Targeted sanctions, like those of US Treausry on the Dodik, at minimum.
Some of you have seen me go on about this several times now but that's bc conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate w/ little to no European or international response. I stress once more: BiH is key to regional peace & security. As goes BiH, so go the Balkans. /xxx
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