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Bosnia is in danger of breaking up, warns EU’s top official in the state

The international community’s chief representative in Bosnia has warned that the country is in imminent danger of breaking apart, and there is a “very real” prospect of a return to conflict.

In a report to the UN, Christian Schmidt, the high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that if Serb separatists carry out their threat to recreate their own army, splitting the national armed forces in two, more international peacekeepers would have to be sent back in to stop the slide towards a new war.

International peacekeeping duties in Bosnia are currently the task of a residual EU force (Eufor) that is 700 strong. Nato retains a formal toehold with a headquarters in Sarajevo. The year-long mandate for both is up for renewal this week at the UN security council, but Russia has threatened to block a resolution unless all references to the high representative are removed, potentially undermining Schmidt’s authority as the overseer of the 1995 Dayton peace deal.

In his first report since taking up the post in August, Schmidt, a former German government minister, warned that Bosnia was facing “the greatest existential threat of the postwar period”.

The Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, is threatening to pull out of state-level institutions, including the national army built up with international assistance over the past quarter century, and reconstitute a Serb force. On 14 October, Dodik said he would force the Bosnian army to withdraw from the Republika Srpska (the Serb half of Bosnia) by surrounding its barracks and that if the west tried to intervene militarily, he had “friends” who had promised to support the Serb cause, a presumed reference to Serbia and Russia.

Bosnian Serb police carried out “counter-terrorist” exercises last month on Mount Jahorina, from where Serb forces bombarded Sarajevo throughout a 1992-95 siege.

“This is tantamount to secession without proclaiming it,” Schmidt wrote in a report delivered to the UN secretary general, António Guterres, on Friday. He said Dodik’s actions “endanger not only the peace and stability of the country and the region, but – if unanswered by the international community – could lead to the undoing of the [Dayton peace] agreement itself.”

The high representative said it was possible there would be clashes between Bosnian national law enforcement agencies and Bosnian Serb police.

“Should the armed force of BiH [Bosnia and Herzegovina] splinter into two or more armies, the level of international military presence would require reassessment,” Schmidt warned.

“A lack of response to the current situation would endanger the [Dayton agreement], while instability in BiH would have wider regional implications,” he said. “The prospects for further division and conflict are very real.”

Schmidt’s warnings were delivered as the UN security council was preparing its annual resolution renewing the peacekeeping mandate for Eufor and the Nato headquarters, with a vote as early as Wednesday. Moscow is threatening to block the resolution unless all references to the high representative are removed.

The Kremlin opposed Schmidt’s appointment by a Peace Implication Council, an ad hoc multinational body set up to implement the Dayton peace agreement, and refuses to recognise his authority.

“I suspect what Russia really wants is to chip away at the authority of the high representative’s office by stopping him briefing the council,” said a diplomat close to the discussions.

Kurt Bassuener, co-founder and senior associate of the Democratization Policy Council, a Berlin-based thinktank, said: “It sounds like the Americans, the Brits and the French have effectively agreed to really strip back the references to the high representative that were boilerplate, standard issue language in all the previous resolutions.” He added: “And while legally that doesn’t undercut the high representative, politically it sure as hell does.”

Even if Eufor’s mandate is renewed, there is little appetite in the EU to beef up the small force left in Bosnia. Some member states, particularly Hungary, are supportive of Dodik.

“I think he’s willing to gamble on the possibility that, as improbable as it is, he can get away with it by essentially creating new facts on the ground rapidly and counting on the idea that confusion and delay would grip both Sarajevo and the international community and there would ultimately be no meaningful international consequences,” Jasmin Mujanović, a Bosnian political scientist, said.

US deputy assistant secretary of state Gabriel Escobar told Congress last week that the US is working with the EU to “make sure there are consequences for any illegal or any destabilising actions” in Bosnia. But it is unclear whether the Biden administration would support a return to Nato peacekeeping.

Alida Vračić, the head of a Bosnia-based thinktank, Populari, said the perpetual and worsening sense of crisis allows the country’s leaders to disguise their failure to govern.

“Dodik has gone ballistic, but collectively politicians hope to win points on this crisis and citizens are the only losers as expected,” Vračić said.

“This discussion comes in handy, as it derails all meaningful discussions like the fact that Sarajevo is choking in smog, that [the regional governments] embezzled money in the Covid-19 crisis, that the death toll in Sarajevo is worse than during the war, the fact that half of the country is living in poverty, that we have completed exactly zero reforms, that no laws have been discussed in the parliament for months.”

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Car fraud: Court jails Mama Boko Haram, others

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri has sentenced Aisha Alkali Wakil popularly known as Mama Boko Haram and two others to five years imprisonment each over a N6 million car fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in statement on Monday by its spokesman said the conviction and sentencing of Mama Boko Haram and her accomplices happened on Thursday, November 28, 2024.

Wakil who is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Complete Care and Aid Foundation (NGO) alongside Programme Manager Tahiru Saidu Daura and Country Director , Prince Lawal Shoyode were re-arraigned on Monday, September 1, 2020 on a four- count amended charge bordering on cheating, conspiracy and giving false information to the tune of N6m.

Count two of the charge read: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyade whilst being Chief Executive Officer, Programme Manager and Country Director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (Non-Governmental Organisation) sometime between October and November 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly induced one Alhaji Bukar Kachalla of Abks Ventures Limited to deliver to you a Toyota Camry 2012 Model worth N6,000,000.00 (Six Million Naira) only under the guise of executing a contract for the purchase of the said car and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.”

The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges prepared against them by the EFCC.

During the trial, counsel for the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed and Shamsudeeb Olayinka Saka presented three witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits before the court in proof of EFCC’s case against the defendants.

Justice Kumaliya thereafter convicted and sentenced the defendants to five years imprisonment without an option of fine each.

The Judge further ordered the defendants to jointly and severally restitute the balance of N3.5m to the petitioner or in default, serve an additional five years jail term each.

The convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested and prosecuted for taking from a petitioner a Toyota Camry 2012 model worth N6,000,000.00 (Six Million Naira) under the guise of purchasing the said car. They neither purchased the car nor returned it to the petitioner.

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Youth in Agriculture: Oyebanji doles out N140million to young farmers

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has disbursed cheques worth N140million to youths engaged in commercial agriculture for the first batch of their harvest.

The young farmers were drawn from the six farm clusters in the state under the “Bring Back The Youth in Agriculture” programme of the state government in partnership with YSJ Farms Limited.

Presenting the cheques to the young farmers on Monday at Osuntokun Pavilion, Government House, Ado- Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji noted the widespread food shortage experienced across the country and globally this year, stressing that his government’s efforts in this direction would promote farming activities as well as spur the youths’ interests in commercial agriculture, with attendant financial and economic opportunities.

The Governor assured the youths that he was already liaising with investors who will provide tractors for hiring in order to effectively boost their production capacity, adding that the strategy of the state government is not to buy tractors, but to create an enabling environment for investors to bring tractors to the state to lease to farmers.

He cautioned some elements in the Ministry of Agriculture who constitute a cog in the wheel of progress in the sector to desist from their nefarious tendencies and support the zeal of government to reposition agriculture and improve on the food security agenda of government.

Speaking further, Governor Oyebanji told the excited youths that his government, had in the last 48 hours, injected N300million into the economy of the state, which he said was in line with the shared prosperity and wealth creation agenda.

While tasking the youths to make judicious use of the money, for effective implementation of the aims and objectives of the initiative by plowing back some of their proceeds into next year’s agriculture season with the hope of a favourable weather.

Governor Oyebanji who hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the financial support to the state, said with the support of the President, efforts are in top gear to build Renewed Hope Farm settlements in all the farm clusters in the state.

“If we are going to develop agriculture and create wealth, we have to be extremely deliberate about our procurement process. On Saturday, I was in Oke Ako, we distributed about N160million compensation to farmers whose lands were taken over six months ago and the crop planted then are already being harvested.

“I have listened to your challenges regarding accommodation, I promised you that we will provide that. The old Awolowo farm settlement is what we are renovating, but in our budget next year, we have plan to do at least six farm settlements. With that you can leave your home go to the farm, when you are tired, you have somewhere to rest.

“For those that are collecting money today, I say congratulations and I am happy because you have seen the challenges and you are here today to eat the fruits of your labour, I know that what we passed through this year is not what we will pass through next year. He said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Ebenezer Boluade thanked the Governor for his various efforts aimed at ensuring that Ekiti people are removed from the league of poverty-stricken states with the new initiative of Agri-preneur aimed at creating jobs in the sector for 10,000 youths and getting them out of poverty.

The Commissioner also revealed that at the Broiler farm, the state was at the verge of realizing N80 million within four cycles of breeding. He called on the youths to know that agriculture is a vocation that needs a lot of patience before the yields and the rewards start to materialize.

Some of the youths, Mr Johnson Owoeye from Gede; Adeyeye Micheal from Oke Ako; Michael Mayowa from Iyemero and Owolewa Samuel from Ekiti west shared their experiences, acknowledged and commended the governor for the initiative and for providing necessary impetus for them to thrive in the business saying they now have very bright future in the state.

Also, the Chief Executive of YSJ, Mrs Yemisi Joluwe commended Ekiti youths for their resilience, commitment and determination to succeed in the business saying that their efforts have shown that Ekiti youths are not lazy.

Also at the event were the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro, Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi, members of the state executive council, members of the State House of Assembly, Chairman, Council of Traditional rulers and Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Faboro among others.

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Court denies Yayaha Bello bail

Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has dismissed the bail application filed by the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is being tried for an alleged N110 billion fraud.

In her ruling, the judge held that Bello’s bail application was premature and incompetent as he filed it when he had not yet surrendered himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The however, admitted Bello’s alleged co-accomplice Umar Oricha, to bail in the sum of N300million with two sureties in the like sum.

In her ruling on Bello’s application, the judge said the former Kogi governor was only making an attempt to invoke the jurisdiction of the court too early.

She said, “Consequently, the instant application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused.”

The 16-count charge preferred against Bello has to do with conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and possession of unlawfully obtained property.

He is alleged have used state funds to illegally acquire properties, at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja , No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja, among many others.