Bosnia National Museum forced to close

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SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The National Museum in Bosnia-Herzegovina has closed and at least six other cultural institutions are under threat due to lack of funds, officials said.

Museums have struggled in the country since the Dayton peace agreement in 1995, when the country was divided into two separate ethnic entities, the Serbian Republic and the Muslim-Croat Federation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Since then there has been no central culture ministry and no funding for cultural facilities by the government, the BBC reported.

"Such a complex institution cannot function by improvisations. The authorities must provide the funds for employees' salaries and functioning costs," said National Museum manager Adnan Busuladzic.

On Thursday, hundreds of students and National Museum staff members protested the closing of the museum, which originally opened in 1888, the BBC reported. Staff members have not been paid in about a year.

Busuladzic said the museum requires about $78,000 a month in funding to survive.