Political leaders in BiH urged to refrain from unilateral actions

All political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina(BiH) should refrain from unilateral actions, the ambassadors of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council said Thursday in a statement.

"All political leaders should return to the principles of compromise, dialogue and consensus in making decisions, as well as respecting the BiH constitution, institutions and the rule of law," the statement read.

"Tolerance, acceptance, and peaceful coexistence are absolute requirements of civilizations founded on rights and freedom, democracy and equality," it said.

The statement came right after BiH, according to a report by local media BIRN, filed a request for an appeal against the International Court of Justice's 2007 verdict which cleared Serbia of direct responsibility for genocide in BiH during the 1992-1995 war.

However, Bosnian Serb politicians strongly oppose the appeal, arguing that it is unconstitutional because it has not been approved by the state-level tripartite presidency.

In the 2007 verdict, the International Court of Justice held that the 1995 massacre of more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslims from Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces was genocide, but that Serbia was not responsible for the killings.

The window during which an appeal can be lodged at the ICJ expires on February 26 this year. Endit