SARAJEVO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Brcko District in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been officially declared free of landmines and explosive remnants of war, local authorities announced on Wednesday.
Established in 1999 through international arbitration following the Dayton Agreement, the Brcko District operates as a self-governing administrative unit under the joint sovereignty of BiH's two entities. Designed as a multiethnic model of coexistence, the District holds both strategic and symbolic importance in BiH's post-war governance framework.
At a ceremony held in Brcko, Mayor Sinisa Milic announced that the District is the first major region in BiH to achieve full mine clearance.
Milic said the newly cleared land will now be repurposed for agriculture, recreation, and economic development. Notably, a former military base in the area is being converted into a free economic zone.
Enis Horozovic, director of the BiH Mine Action Center, noted that Brcko had a total of 60.8 square km of mine-contaminated land following the war. Since 1996, various clearance operations have taken place, with 12.88 square km demined in the latest project phase.
In April, Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a new Mine Action Strategy (2025-2027), reaffirming its commitment to achieving a mine-free future for all regions of the country.
