Police in Republika Srpska — the majority ethnically Serbian territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina — have driven federal police out of a building in the de facto regional capital Banja Luka, according to reports.

This comes as Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik has called on ethnic Serb members of the federal police and courts to resign their posts and join the government of his autonomous entity. "We have ensured them a job, while preserving their legal status, ranks, and positions. They will receive the same salary, or even a higher salary than they had," he said.

The move is another increasingly separatist action by Dodik, following his refusal yesterday to obey a court summons. After announcing his disobedience, he passed a series of laws banning federal judiciary and police forces from operating in his territory.

Bosnian officials have filed suit against these laws in the Constitutional Court. The European Union has backed the suit, claiming Dodik's laws "undermine the constitutional and legal order" of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Who is Milorad Dodik?

Milorad Dodik is the president of Republika Srpska, one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's two federal entities. He has been in charge since 2022.

A Serbian nationalist, he has publicly spoken out in support of Serbian military figures convicted of war crimes during the Bosnian Genocide.

He is considered an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, whom he awarded the medal of honor, and Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, himself a Moscow sympathizer.

In the past, Dodik threatened to completely secede Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He maintains he has no intention of a violent escalation, insisting that Republika Srpska has "the ability to defend itself, and we will do that." His threats have earned him sanctions from the United States.

How is Bosnia and Herzegovina governed?

 

Since 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been ruled according to the Dayton Accords which ended years of war in the region.

The accords established a state consisting of two entities: the Republika Srpska for ethnic Serbs, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for ethnic Croats and Bosniaks.

The country has a rotating three-member presidency consisting of Bosniak, Croat and Serb members. The presidency is overseen by a High Representative who is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Accords. To date, all High Representatives have come from European Union nations.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery