If Bosnia's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS) entity gives up on the creation of its auxiliary police unit, so will the Federation (FBiH) entity, FBiH Interior Minister Aljosa Campara said on Wednesday after meeting with Deputy Director of FBiH Police Department (FUP) Ensad Korman and the FUP special forces command.

“We'll primarily work on filling the vacant positions in our special forces unit, and then the support unit,” Campara said, adding that they are working on changing the Law on Police in the same way as the RS, so they too could establish the auxiliary police unit.

“It'll be the same as in the RS, but if they decide to stop this process so will we,” the FBiH Interior Minister noted.

Last Thursday, the RS parliament adopted the controversial law changes which stipulate the formation of the auxiliary police unit, a move that provoked some FBiH politicians to say they would support the establishment of such a police unit in their entity as well.

Campara also pointed out that the FBiH will provide additional funds for equipping the new staff. The equipment is expensive, he added, but the entity will provide the funds because they will be used to ensure the safety of citizens.

The Minister noted that the current special forces unit is well equipped and very professional and independent, making it one of the best units in the country and the region.

Following the 1992-95 war, Bosnia was divided into two semi-autonomous regions, the RS and the FBiH, with each having its own government, parliament and police.