Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 01/2012

Brčko Unsupervised

December 2011

International Crisis Group

Abstract

"Brčko Unsupervised", the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, focuses on the strategic, autonomous district which is vital to Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) stability and links the two halves of both the Republika Srpska (RS) and the BiH Federation (FBiH). Brčko, once seen as a model of ethnic coexistence and good governance, is now drowning in corruption and mismanagement. This situation is made worse by the growing country-wide crisis, with political quarrels blocking formation of the state-level government and adoption of 2011 and 2012 state budgets.