The parliament of Republika Srpska -- the Serb entity of Bosnia -- on December 10 agreed to instruct local government to prepare to withdraw from crucial national institutions over the next six months.

The entities affected included the army, the judiciary and the tax system.

In response, the Bosnian Prosecutors Office launched an investigation against the leadership of Republika Srpska for "undermining constitutional order".

Dodik labelled the inquiry as "politically motivated", arguing that it is designed to "destabilise" Republika Srpska.

Republika Srpska will regulate its own judicial system in the next 30 days, he added. "Nobody will stop us."

Prosecutors have been interviewing opposition leaders who boycotted the controversial session and have requested documents from the entity government and its ruling parties.

Dodik's plan has raised fears over the nation's fragile peace and the risk of a fresh conflict in a country divided on ethnic lines after the brutal 1990s war that claimed some 100,000 lives.

The Western powers have denounced the initiative, but Dodik appears to have backing from Russia. Earlier this month, he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.