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WORLD NEWS Thursday 29 sepTember 2022

Bosnian Serb separatist leader blasts West, praises

Russia

By ELDAR EMRIC
Associated Press
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herze-
govina (AP) — Facing an
election this weekend, Bos-
nian Serb separatist leader
Milorad Dodik blasted the
West and praised Vladimir
Putin over his policies in the
Balkans, boasting that he is
a rare European politician
who can meet with the
Russian president anytime
he wishes.
Dodik’s comments made
at a preelection rally late
Tuesday in the Bosnian Serb
semiautonomous region
of Republika Srpska came
after he met with Putin in
Moscow earlier this month
when he endorsed Russia’s Serb member of the Bosnian Presidency Milorad Dodik arrives at the Alliance of Independent
war in Ukraine. Dodik also Social Democrats (SNSD) campaign rally in Istocno Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.
met with Putin in June. Associated Press
Dodik, a Serb member of During the rally, Dodik re- “And I think that these con- from opposition Party of
Bosnia’s tripartite presiden- iterated the Bosnian Serb ditions (separation) are Democratic Progress,
cy that also includes a Bos- separatist stands, which al- being created, Europe is who has pledged to fight
niak and a Croat member, ready once in the past led in more and more trou- against Dodik’s alleged
has frequently met with to a war in the 1990s when ble. America is losing its corruptive deals that he
Putin, especially before it left 100,000 people dead strength. made in the past.
elections when he wants to and millions homeless in A new world is being cre- A U.S.-brokered peace
show to the highly pro-Rus- what was then the worst ated, “ Dodik said. “In that deal in 1995 ended a war
sia Bosnian Serb electorate carnage in Europe since world it is important that in Bosnia that left at least
that he has Putin’s support. World War II. the Republika Srpska has 100,000 people dead and
Moscow has often been “We cannot stay in Bos- Milorad Dodik who can call millions homeless, but left
accused by the West of nia-Herzegovina” he said. Putin and see him tomor- the country deeply divid-
seeking to destabilize Bos- “Bosnia-Herzegovina is not row.” ed between its three main
nia and the rest of the Bal- the place for us. Bosnia- Bosnia holds a general ethnic groups Moscow has
kans through its allies in Ser- Herzegovina is a place that election on Sunday in often been accused by the
bia and Bosnia. Dodik has constantly suppresses us which Dodik is running for West of exploiting the divi-
openly advocated tearing to take off in our develop- the Bosnian Serb president, sions by tacitly supporting
away the Serb-controlled ment,” he said, adding that a separate function from Dodik’s separatist policies,
half of Bosnia from a Bos- the fate of Bosnian Serb the three-member presi- and to destabilize Bosnia
niak-Croat federation and children depends on how dency. His biggest chal- and the rest of the Balkans
joining it up with neighbor- quickly Bosnian Serbs leave lenge comes from young through its proxies in Serbia
ing Serbia. the joint country. economist Jelena Trivic, and Bosnia.q

Satellite images show Eritrea military buildup near

Tigray

By CARA ANNA conflict that began in late
Associated Press 2020. Witnesses in Eritrea
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — this month told The Asso-
New satellite imagery of ciated Press that people
one of the world’s most including students and
reclusive nations shows a public servants are being
military buildup inside Er- rounded up across the na-
itrea near the border with tion and sent to fight in the
Ethiopia’s northern Tigray new offensive.
region, backing up witness The satellite imagery pro-
accounts of a new, large- vided by Maxar Technolo-
scale offensive. gies shows what Maxar
Eritrea has fought along- described as battle tanks,
side Ethiopia against Tigray self-propelled howitzers
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies claims forces. and a M-46 field gun bat-
to show unidentified military forces mobilized in the town of It rejects allegations that its tery in the Eritrean town of
Sheraro, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia Monday, Sept. soldiers committed some Serha, near the border, on
26, 2022.
Associated Press of the worst atrocities in the Sept. 19. q