Bosnia’s state security chief resigns, citing Serb entity’s laws

By Talha Ozturk

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (AA) - The director of Bosnia and Herzegovina's State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) resigned Tuesday, saying he will comply with the laws of Republika Srpska (RS), the Serb-majority entity within the country.

Darko Culum’s resignation follows the RS National Assembly’s approval of controversial laws that prohibit the operations of Bosnia’s state judiciary and law enforcement agencies within the entity, including the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prosecutor’s Office, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and SIPA. While Bosnia’s Constitutional Court later suspended these laws, the RS government has insisted on enforcing them.

According to Republika Srpska’s state broadcaster RTRS, Culum stepped down in accordance with the newly introduced laws. Additionally, the RS government has issued a decree requiring all employees of state institutions operating in RS to resign by Wednesday if they intend to transition to entity institutions, warning of possible sanctions for non-compliance.

-Tensions rise following Dodik’s arrest warrant

Culum’s resignation comes in the wake of an arrest warrant issued by Bosnia’s Prosecutor’s Office for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik. The Prosecutor’s Office had sought SIPA’s assistance in executing the arrest, adding pressure on the agency’s leadership.

Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, has consistently defied Bosnia’s state institutions, rejecting decisions from the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and Bosnia’s judiciary. His recent move to sign measures rejecting the jurisdiction of Bosnia’s central institutions led to legal action against him.

The RS leadership has dismissed the arrest warrant as politically driven, while the international community has cautioned that such actions could threaten Bosnia’s territorial integrity and destabilize the region.

-RS government’s decree deadline approaches

Meanwhile, the RS government’s deadline for SIPA employees, judges, prosecutors and staff from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prosecutor’s Office and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) to transition to entity institutions is set to expire Wednesday. This development has sparked significant reactions in political and judicial circles, with uncertainty remaining over how many officials will comply or risk potential sanctions.

-SIPA continues operations despite leadership change

Despite Culum’s resignation, SIPA remains operational in Republika Srpska. In a recent operation across Banja Luka, Prijedor and Bosanska Gradiska, SIPA officers arrested three people, signaling that state institutions continue to function within the entity despite political efforts to limit their authority.

Culum had previously refrained from commenting on the RS laws but ultimately resigned, a move perceived as aligning with Dodik’s stance. However, as he was already serving in a technical mandate and had fulfilled retirement conditions in August, it remains unclear whether he will assume a new role within RS institutions.

His resignation further complicates an already tense political landscape, raising concerns about Bosnia’s ability to enforce state laws amid deepening divisions between the central government and Republika Srpska’s leadership.