The outgoing U.S. ambassador to BiH, Michael Murphy, has once again targeted Republika Srpska and its president, Milorad Dodik. Under the guise of commitment to the Dayton Peace Agreement and claims that the U.S. does not intend to dismantle Republika Srpska, Murphy launched attacks on Dodik, accusing him of anti-Dayton policies and economic mismanagement. “Murphy lies and undermines Republika Srpska,” Dodik responded, calling him “the greatest disaster to hit BiH and a diplomatic disgrace.” The Ministry of Finance also weighed in on Murphy’s claims about Srpska’s finances, labeling them as false and misleading.
Michael Murphy is on his way out of BiH, but if anyone thought he would quietly leave his post at the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo, they were mistaken. In his final days, and ahead of the incoming U.S. administration led by Donald Trump, Murphy has intensified his attacks on Republika Srpska and its president, Milorad Dodik. Murphy blames Dodik for all the negative developments in BiH. Dodik, in turn, responded on X: “Murphy is the greatest disaster to hit BiH.” He described Murphy as “the greatest polluter of public discourse, a corrupt protector of criminals,” and wished him a safe departure. Speaking to reporters, Dodik accused Murphy of lying about the absence of U.S. pressure on banks in Srpska to shut down accounts linked to sanctioned companies and individuals.
- “He’s lying. He said in his interview that they are not undermining Republika Srpska. They are lying; they are undermining Republika Srpska. They brought in someone from the U.S. Treasury Department who gathered bankers and said, ‘If anyone helps them, you will also face sanctions.’ What are people supposed to do?” said Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska.
Dodik described the pressures faced by businesses in Srpska and his own family from the U.S. embassy. Responding to Murphy’s claims about Srpska’s economic struggles and his repeated question during his tenure—”Where is the money?”—Dodik countered with a question of his own: “Murphy, where is the money?”
- “He dares to ask where the money is. Srpska operates transparently. But what is the U.S. deficit? Their debt is double their GDP. And he questions us. Who are you to question us?” Dodik asked.
Murphy’s assertion that Republika Srpska borrowed 1.1 billion KM this year on the Banja Luka Stock Exchange is incorrect and impossible, according to the Ministry of Finance. They noted that the figure he cited exceeds the total annual trade volume on the exchange for 2023.
- “From January 1 to today, the government of Srpska borrowed a total of 447 million KM through bond issuances on the Banja Luka Stock Exchange, far from the billion mentioned by the U.S. ambassador. Debt repayments this year amount to 1.12 billion KM. The public debt of Republika Srpska at the end of last year was 34.6% of GDP, and now it stands at 31.9% of GDP,” stated the Ministry of Finance of Republika Srpska.
This is just one of several responses from Srpska’s institutions to Murphy’s accusations throughout his diplomatic—or, more aptly, undiplomatic—tenure. Legal experts argue that instead of a friendly farewell, Murphy’s departure as U.S. ambassador leaves behind a legacy of numerous unresolved conflicts.
- “This shows a complete lack of understanding of BiH. Fortunately, the Dayton Peace Agreement is there to protect all of us, whether we belong to one of the three constituent peoples or reside in one of the two entities, from anyone who seeks to reshape BiH into something different from what we agreed to in Dayton,” said legal expert Ognjen Tadić.
Indeed, the Dayton Agreement did not grant any foreign diplomat the right to meddle in the internal affairs of BiH. And it certainly didn’t authorize interference to undermine agreements made by local politicians. Time is running out for such actions, as the doors of the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo are already open for Murphy’s exit.
Source: RTRS
