The special German and British envoys for Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, and Stuart Peach, warned on Tuesday that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is "the most serious crisis since 1995" because reforms are not being implemented and "plans to divide the country are more and more apparent."

In a report they wrote to mark 30 August, the International Day of Missing Persons, Sarrazin and Peach pointed out that politicians in the Republika Srpska entity are “openly implementing a policy of secession,” while some others are “threatening territorial reorganisation,” which in their opinion, undermines the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country.

They accused the political elite in Bosnia and Herzegovina of stalling reforms at all levels and thereby denying citizens a future in the EU, according to their statement carried by local media outlets on Tuesday.

They in particular underscored that ethnic divisions are deepening instead of being overcome which they find to be particularly alarming.

“The political and security foundations of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina must be preserved. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) is continuing to play an important role in this regard, as well as EUFOR’s Althea operation and NATO,” they said.

Sarrazin and Peach added that “today, more than ever, on the Day of Missing Persons, the tragedies and horrors that people suffered throughout the Balkans during the 1990s, when Europe witnessed the first armed conflict since the Second World War, should not be forgotten, while genocide and war crimes have left deep scars throughout the region.”

“Although the world said never again after the genocide in Srebrenica in 1995, a similar process is being repeated today in Ukraine,” they said.

“Russia’s unprovoked barbaric invasion of Ukraine is shaking the very foundations of our societies – territorial integrity, sovereignty, democracy and the rule of law. Putin’s relentless aggression threatens the security of us all. We see that Russia is trying to export instability to Europe. In this regard, it is crucial that The Western Balkans must strengthen their resilience in order to advance on the European path,” they added, promising help to preserve peace and stability in the region.