The Bosnian Prosecutor’s Office has ordered the arrest of Milorad Dodik, the nationalist president of Republika Srpska (RS), and two of his aides for what they call an “attack on the constitutional order,” Al Jazeera reports.
The move follows Dodik’s repeated failure to comply with summons for questioning by the prosecution.
Dodik, along with Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic and Parliament Speaker Nenad Stevandic, had been summoned for questioning regarding their actions following Dodik’s sentencing to a year in jail and a ban from public office for defying rulings made by Christian Schmidt, the international envoy overseeing the Dayton Peace Accords.
Prosecutors are investigating Dodik for implementing laws barring the state judiciary and police from RS territory after his sentencing. These laws were subsequently struck down by Bosnia’s top court. Dodik, a known ally of Russia, has consistently refused to recognize the authority of the Bosnian prosecution office and has vowed not to travel to Sarajevo, the capital, for questioning.
The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) has been tasked with carrying out the arrest. It remains unclear whether the intention is to detain Dodik or merely escort him to Sarajevo for questioning.
Tensions are high in Banja Luka, the RS’s seat of power, with reports indicating police deployment around the parliament building ahead of a session. On Wednesday, the RS assembly debated a new draft constitution aimed at furthering the entity’s separation from Bosnia. This draft constitution proposes the creation of an RS army and the possibility of joining a union with neighboring countries.
Dodik’s actions, which have been met with criticism from the United States and the European Union, are widely seen as part of a growing effort to break the RS territory away from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Republika Srpska is one of two entities created under the US-brokered Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the 1992-1995 war that resulted in over 100,000 deaths. The other entity is the Federation, primarily inhabited by Bosniaks and Croats. The two are linked by a fragile central government, overseen by an international authority tasked with preventing a return to conflict.
The escalating tensions have drawn international attention. This week, NATO chief Mark Rutte visited Sarajevo to reinforce support for the Bosnian government, pledging that the alliance will not permit a “security vacuum to emerge” in the region.
Russian news agency TASS reported that Dodik is planning to meet with high-level Russian officials in the coming days, further fueling concerns about Moscow’s influence in the region and its potential impact on the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
