The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) office in Banja Luka was closed on March 7, with employees vacating the premises in the morning hours. Access to the building was blocked, and operations have been suspended, reports RFE.
SIPA operates under the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is responsible for law enforcement at the state level. However, recent unconstitutional laws enacted by Republika Srpska (RS) aim to ban SIPA, as well as Bosnia’s Court and Prosecutor’s Office, from functioning within the entity.
There are unconfirmed reports that the RS Ministry of Interior (MPB RS) may take control of the building on Friday. MPB RS has also invited SIPA employees to transfer to its police forces.
According to on-the-ground reports, no activity is visible at the SIPA office, and only security personnel remain on site. Some SIPA employees were allegedly instructed to leave for “security reasons.”
The move is part of broader efforts by RS leader Milorad Dodik to weaken Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state institutions, a move strongly opposed by the U.S. and the EU.
