Bosnia’s outgoing international overseer urges new approach

Hands-off approach the international community adopted a decade ago has failed to produce unity, Valentin Inzko says.

Western powers should adopt a new approach to promoting reconciliation in politically fragmented Bosnia to prevent nativist leaders from turning the Balkan country into a deserted wasteland, according to the top international overseer of a 1995 peace agreement. Austrian diplomat Valentin Inzko, who is stepping down next week as the UN’s high representative in Bosnia, said he thinks a hands-off attitude the international community adopted a little more than a decade ago to promote local autonomy has failed to produce the intended unity, in part because Bosnian political leaders “are not sincere”. “When they speak about European values, this is just sometimes empty talk. For example, in the area of the rule of law. Nobody from the politicians is taking this seriously, the rule of law issue … Most of the politicians do not want to have the rule of law,” Inzko said during an interview with The Associated Press on Monday.