Bosnian Police Fail in Attempt to Arrest Milorad Dodik

Bosnian authorities attempted to arrest Milorad Dodik, President of the Republic Srpska (RS), on Wednesday in what marked the first such attempt since a warrant was issued earlier this year. Dodik, who arrived in the town of East Sarajevo, was approached by officers from Bosnia’s State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) but was accompanied by armed members of the RS Ministry of Interior. According to SIPA’s spokeswoman, the RS police threatened the use of force if the arrest was carried out, prompting federal officers to abandon the attempt.

Later in the evening, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republic Srpska announced that it had initiated criminal proceedings against the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), which it claims is an unconstitutional organization

Dodik has been wanted since March, following a February conviction for promoting separatism, which carried a one-year prison sentence and a six-year ban from political activity. Despite the conviction, he has remained in office and continued his political activities both within RS and abroad, including a recent visit to Moscow where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The failed arrest has escalated tensions in Bosnia and is being described by some as the country’s most severe political crisis since the 1990s. Analysts warn that any move to detain Dodik could inflame ethnic divisions and risk further destabilizing the already fragile state. The crisis also reflects broader regional instability, as Dodik has recently proposed a military alliance with Serbia and Hungary—two countries that themselves recently signed a defense pact in response to a regional alliance formed by Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo.