The Civil Protection Administration of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity has suspended cooperation and communication with the Ministry of Security in the BiH government due to alleged insolent and unfair interference in the internal affairs of the Administration, Srna news agency reported Monday.

The cooperation was suspended for a period of 90 days, starting on March 17, the notice sent by the RS Administration to the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina said.

Bosnia’s Security Ministry was also informed that the RS Civil Protection Administration and its representatives will not participate in further activities, programs and exercises, which were started in coordination with the Ministry.

The notice added that all communication and cooperation is interrupted in order to ensure the implementation of the Law on Protection and Rescue in Emergencies and the Framework Law on Protection and Rescue of People and Material Goods from Natural and Other Disasters in BiH, and to protect the members of the RS Civil Protection Administration.

in terms of cooperation with the Ministry of Security, the RS Administration pointed out that in previous years, there were problems in drafting bylaws, planning and other documents, participating in training and exercises, drafting projects, providing assistance in natural and other disasters due to alleged efforts of the Ministry of Security to transfer part of the competencies from the entities to the level of BiH, ie to give the Ministry competencies that do not belong to it according to the applicable laws.

Some local media reported that this could be a “creeping coup d'etat.” They also linked the acting director of the Administration, Milan Novitovic, with the Russian humanitarian centre in Nis, Serbia.

BiH Security Ministry did not comment on the matter.