Two years ago, on 15 March 2008, a blast at an ammunition storage site in Albania killed 26 people, injured many more, destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and buildings, and caused extensive economic and environmental damage.  Last year, seven workers died in a Serbian ammunition factory blast.  A 2006 explosion outside Niksic, Montenegro, destroyed the homes of many families. Could it happen in Bosnia and Herzegovina?  Sadly, yes.
The problem is huge.  BiH officials have designated for disposal an estimated 95,000 pieces of surplus military weapons and 25,000 tons of surplus ammunition.  These armaments are located at 19 storage sites throughout the country, sometimes near population centers.
The problem is expensive.  Hundreds of military and civilian personnel provide perimeter and other security to keep these materials from falling into the hands of criminals or terrorists, diverting scarce resources from a BiH military already strapped for cash and personnel.
The problem is worsening.  Some of the stockpiles are “wartime production” made hurriedly during the 1990s war.  Others date back as far as the 1950s.  Storage and maintenance records are often missing.  The condition of the explosives is sometimes unclear.  Many are already leaking chemical components.  Some are too dangerous to move, and must be destroyed in situ.  And with each passing day they become even more unstable.
Why isn’t this threat being resolved?  BiH officials agreed in 2008 to dispose of the surplus arms and ammunition, but implementation remains a problem, and trends are going in the wrong direction:  less ammunition was destroyed in 2009 than 2008, despite a vigorous international program to fund and assist with that destruction.  Unbelievably, the political gridlock that blocks fast destruction is apparently linked to a dispute about who would own the resulting scrap materials and which disposal methods would financially benefit which political interests.  Sound familiar?
The OSCE Mission to BiH is reaching out its hand in friendship and support.  Like other international partners focused on this problem, we are convinced that the surplus arms and ammunition have little, if any, financial value.  Legitimate buyers are not interested in aging and unstable stocks.  Illegitimate elements, of course, might be.
For all these reasons, we strongly recommend that a robust program move forward to destroy these arms and ammunition, in a transparent process, as quickly as possible.  We recognize that BiH has limited technical capability. Several OSCE participating States have therefore already offered assistance.  Additionally, the OSCE Mission has on several occasions reminded BiH authorities that they can obtain assistance from the OSCE to upgrade storage facilities for weapons and ammunition of both the BiH Armed Forces and internal security forces. To date, there has been no such request. 
The primary responsibility of any government is to protect the security and safety of its citizens.  This is an issue crying out for political leadership.  The recommendations of the OSCE are practical and feasible.  The destruction of these arms and ammunition would not only make the country a safer place.  It would also demonstrate to the world that BiH is playing its proper role in fostering local, regional, and global security.
In February I wrote of my hope that the people of BiH will use the October 2010 elections to elect representatives who will act in the public interest.  Can anything be a more fundamental interest than the safety and security of citizens?  Will BiH leaders act to reduce that threat, before tragedy strikes the region again?
 Gary D. Robbins has served as Head of Mission for the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2008.  See more on http://www.oscebih.org.