In Bosnia's Sarajevo, the Serb Republic advanced separatist reforms on Thursday, defying the country's constitution. Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian leader, taunted state prosecutors a day after they issued a warrant for his arrest.
This escalates a conflict pitting Dodik, Russia, and Serbia against the United States and the European Union, posing a significant threat to Balkan peace since the 1990s Yugoslav wars.
Bosnian prosecutors ordered Dodik's arrest on Wednesday for defying a court summons, a move he vowed to challenge with Russian support. His regional police pledged to shield him from arrest.
In a speech to Serb Republic lawmakers, Dodik challenged the arrest, saying, "You want to arrest us? Come on, try to arrest us," maintaining that the charges aimed to justify his political effort to establish a new constitutional order.
The regional parliament deliberated a new constitution that would grant the Serb Republic sovereign powers, establish a separate Serb army and judiciary, and ensure self-determination and the option to unite with other states. Dodik advocates joining Serbia.
Since the end of the 1992-95 war, Bosnia comprises the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic, united by a fragile central government overseen by an international envoy to prevent a return to conflict.
The conflict arose when Dodik disregarded the envoy's decisions, resulting in a prison sentence and a ban from holding office. In response, Dodik enacted regional laws, prompting an investigation by state prosecutors for undermining the constitutional order.