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Almost 50,000 Gather in Rival Republika Srpska Rallies

© AP Photo / Amel EmricBosnian Serb people waves flags during a demonstration in Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Saturday, May 14, 2016
Bosnian Serb people waves flags during a demonstration in Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Saturday, May 14, 2016 - Sputnik International
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Up to 50,000 people marched across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in support and opposition toward one of two entities in the Balkan state, the Republika Srpska, local media reported Saturday.

BELGRADE (Sputnik) – Up to 15,000 opposition activists gathered at the central park in the Republika Srpska capital of Banja Luka to protest what they deem to be a corrupt government and economic hardship, according to the BiH’s Dnevni Avaz daily.

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Meanwhile, the Republika Srpska’s Srna news service estimated almost 35,000 people have amassed for a pro-Srpska rally at a nearby park. Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik called on supporters to "defend Republka Srpska from internal treason."

The two groups are separated by 2,000 police officers and cordons less than a mile apart. At least 150 radical groups members from Serbia were refused entry to BiH to avoid potential clashes.

On Friday, Dodik called on the opposition to cancel its mass demonstration and promised the same from his supporters, urging instead to negotiate peacefully.

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Political tensions in Republika Srpska have been on the rise since 2014, when Dodik's party lost its place in the Bosnian government to the reformist group Alliance for Change. The opposition accuses the president of crime and corruption.

The Republika Srpska is an administrative entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was established in 1995 following a three-year civil war.

In mid-February, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Bosnia and Herzegovina had officially applied for EU membership. Dodik said Republika Srpska did not oppose BiH's accession, provided that the entity's authority was not called into question.

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