The Justitia et pax (Justice and Peace) Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued an appeal on November 21st for building a just peace and secure future in BiH, and on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH – the Dayton Agreement.
In the document, which is signed by the President of the Commission, the Bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr. Franjo Komarica, it was pointed out that the Agreement “although it stopped the war, unfortunately did not enable a just peace in the country because it contains several very strange contradictions and disastrous insecurities”, the members of the BK BiH observed in their Open Letter dated December 8th 1995 addressed to the signatories and witnesses of the Dayton Agreement.
The bishops warned before
The bishops then determined that “instead of the much-desired peace, this peace agreement introduces new unrest and doubts regarding the return and protection of basic human rights and freedoms, which include the religious and ethnic rights and freedoms of all the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, and they appealed even today to those responsible in state institutions to work on building a just peace.
As they pointed out, the bishops were already right in their critical attitude and warning, which was shown by the entire post-war situation in BiH, in which a stable and equal political climate was not achieved among the members of the three nations and national minorities throughout the country. They especially emphasized that for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the non-implementation – and even deliberate obstruction – of Annex 7 of the Dayton Agreement, which guarantees and foresees the safe and sustainable return of all refugees and exiled residents, is dramatic and devastating. “Members of the BK BiH and the Justitia et Pax Commission warned many times all competent officials – domestic and foreign – about the continuous difficulty and impossibility of sustainable return, especially of the Catholic population, which mainly belongs to one of the three constituent nations”, and they warn even today returnees are being attacked, and some cases the attacks end in death.
Retrograde rhetoric
That is why the Commission once again appeals to all those responsible in state institutions to work more decisively with joint efforts to build a just and lasting peace, based on the values of European civilization, i.e. on justice, equality, respect for the dignity of every human being, on freedom, tolerance and solidarity.
“We have witnessed that the vast majority of our fellow citizens have long been oriented towards the countries and social systems of the European Union, and that tens and even hundreds of thousands of our country’s inhabitants live and work in various countries of Central and Western Europe. Our country, as well as neighbouring countries, has the same fate. This is important to point out, especially considering the current increasingly restless and conflictual situation to the east and southeast of us and our immediate surroundings”, is the emphasis of the Commission’s document, which therefore warns that attention should not be diverted from the recently intensified tense retrograde rhetoric between individual domestic political representatives or groups.
Departures leave a void
Therefore, as stated, they welcomed this year’s repeated efforts and encouraging decisions directed and made by European politicians regarding the increasing and more effective integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina among other European countries, because their previous actions – scheduling on the occasion of the outbreak and non-stopping of war conflicts and leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina in uncertainties during the post-war period – led to the stagnation of important areas in the revival of the rule of law, which eventually led to dissatisfaction and many fellow citizens left the country and continue to leave it “leaving behind a void, thus bringing it into multiple existential problems, not only now , but also for future times”.
Efforts of the Church
At the end, they emphasized that the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina through its various institutions has been seriously trying to contribute to the peaceful integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina for years, and that is why its members, as well as many other fellow citizens, expect all politicians to make real efforts and show political maturity and the will to by carrying out the necessary reforms and building a rule of law modelled on other European countries. “The times of empty words and promises have long passed for our country. It is high time for concrete results and for undertaking serious, constructive, joint efforts on the part of domestic government representatives as well”, reads the appeal of the Commission, which once again encouraged “all well-intentioned fellow citizens, primarily politicians and other social officials”, to make an effort to find common ground positive solutions regarding the organization of the country, as a legal, safe and promising state for all its inhabitants, for the equality of all ethnic and religious communities, and for supporting all peaceful and peace-building actions and projects that are already being implemented or have been initiated, thus providing a valuable contribution to the general good.
KT
