The leader of Serbia’s Democratic Party (DS), Srđan Milivojević, has accused a Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) official of orchestrating attacks on students from Serbia during a campaign tour in Republika Srpska (RS), the Serb-majority entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Milivojević claims Vladimir Mandić, the son of a well-known wartime profiteer, Momčilo Mandić, organized a group of criminals to create a false image that the students were unwelcome.

“Behind the attacks and provocations are people engaged through structures connected to the SNS and the mafia regime of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić,” Milivojević stated. He argued this was a transparent attempt to sow discord between Serbs on either side of the Drina River, asserting that citizens of Republika Srpska, like those in Serbia, know they must choose between Serbia and the mafia.

The student initiative “Student in Every Village” has now cancelled the remainder of its pre-election caravan through RS and the Brčko District. In a statement, they cited obstructions, police conduct, and local provocateurs in several cities, including Brčko and Doboj, where their gatherings were reportedly interrupted.