Political tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina escalated Thursday after an attempted police arrest of Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik was reportedly blocked by his supporters.
A bid by the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) to apprehend Dodik in an administrative building in East Sarajevo – located in the Serb-dominated so-called Republika Srpska (RS) – was thwarted late Wednesday by police loyal to Dodik, according to the Bosnian news outlet klix.ba.
The RS officers also blocked access to the building where Dodik, who is RS president, remained Thursday, the outlet said.
In March, the state prosecutor's office issued arrest warrants for Dodik, RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic and Parliamentary Speaker Nenad Stevandic.
Prosecutors accuse the trio of attacks on the constitutional order of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Most recently, the RS legislature passed laws to remove the authority of the central state courts, prosecutors and federal police officers from the territory of the RS.
Dodik, who regularly consults with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has for years been pushing for the secession of the RS from the Bosnian state.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, a former Yugoslav republic, was reestablished as a state under the Dayton Peace Agreement following the 1992-1995 war.
Since then, two parts of the country, the Republika Srpska and the Bosnian-Croat Federation (FBiH), have enjoyed extensive autonomy.
