Proposed secession of Republika Srpska

Bosnian Serbs on Jan. 9 held celebrations to mark the anniversary of the founding of the small entity -- Republika Srpska -- in defiance of Bosnia's top court ruling.

A parade in northern Banja Luka city -- de facto capital of the entity -- started the celebrations, which was supported by the senior members of the Republika Srpska government.

More than 2,400 participants took part on Thursday in celebrating the disputed Day of Republika Srpska, ignoring condemnation from Bosniak leaders and a ban imposed by the country's Constitutional Court.

Several thousand people gathered in Banja Luka, the administrative centre of Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Republika Srpska, RS, on Thursday night for two rival rallies, one a protest against the RS authorities and the other a counter-protest in support of RS institutions.

Opposition lawmakers in Bosnia's Republika Srpska called for the resignation of the entity's interior minister after he slapped an opposition MP on Monday during a debate on Bosnia's future relationship with NATO.

Lawmakers in Bosnia's mainly Serb entity of Republika Srpska adopted principles on Tuesday declaring the entity's right to referenda on 'self-determination' and Bosnian membership of NATO.

Speakers at the US Senate's subcommittee on Europe and regional-security cooperation on Wednesday blamed Bosnian Serb supremo Milorad Dodik for the current stalemate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was preventing the formation of a new state government and blocking the NATO integration process.

Republika Srpska's interior ministry officially unveiled its new gendarmerie police unit on Tuesday at a ceremony in Zaluzani, near the entity's administrative centre Banja Luka - a move that sparked criticism from Bosniak politicians in the Serb-dominated entity.

Bosniak politician Senad Bratic quit as vice-speaker of the assembly in Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Republika Srpska, RS, on Wednesday - after the party to which he belongs passed a controversial declaration at its recent party congress that landed him in hot political water.

They warn that years of political divisions, zero-sum games, distrust and poor communication between local leaders, as well as growing tensions among key regional and global actors, have left Bosnia a ticking time-bomb that could go off at any moment, leading to the collapse of the remaining joint institutions or even the breakup of the country.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has issued a protest note about recent comments made by the Serb member of Bosnia's state presidency in support of Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Earlier this week, Milorad Dodik stated in his interview to Russkiy reporter that he "considers Crimea to be Russian", and that Bosnian recognition of this unilateral annexation was "necessary".