An SFOR soldier moves into Banja Luka

NATO Troops Deploy in Banja Luka

The police headquarters in Banja Luka are controlled by opponents of the Bosnian Serb President, Biljana Plavsic. Ms Plavsic's rivals are loyal to the former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic.

International police monitors went inside the headquarters to investigate alleged "human rights abuses". Ms Plavsic claims that police officers at the headquarters have been tapping her telephone lines.

On Tuesday evening, two thousand supporters of Ms Plavsic turned out for a rally in the north-western town of Banja Luka to hear her denounce her opponents. "Don't give your town to tyrants," Ms Plavsic urged the crowd, "We want freedom."

Ms Plavsic has called for daily rallies to be held in Banja Luka until her own police take control of the town's police headquarters, currently controlled by officers loyal to Mr Karadzic. This follows the dramatic events on Sunday, when police officers supporting Ms Plavsic attempted to take over the headquarters. They were later escorted away by SFOR soldiers.

Plavsic: "We want freedom"

Although Ms Plavsic has named a new police chief and state security commander in Banja Luka, her opponents have refused to recognise the appointments.

While Ms Plavsic shares the hardline political views of Mr Karadzic - an indicted war criminal who has so far avoided arrest and transfer to the International Tribunal in The Hague - she claims that Mr Karadzic and his allies have been running smuggling rackets throughout Bosnian Serb territory. She also wants to fire the Bosnian Serb Interior Minister, whom she accuses of corruption.

There are signs that support for Ms Plavsic is picking up. Several leading members of the ruling Serb Democratic Party (SDS), which expelled Ms Plavsic last month, have resigned in solidarity with her. Ms Plavsic has now formed her own party, and is calling for elections in October to a new Bosnian Serb parliament.

SFOR soldiers are dealing with an increasingly dangerous inter-Serb power struggle

And the support of the international community has given Ms Plavsic another powerful card to play. On Tuesday night, she held talks with the civilian High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, and the US Envoy, Robert Gelbard. Afterwards, both men supported her election call and condemned the activities of the Banja Luka police. Mr Westendorp added: "It is, of course, a situation which the international community and myself cannot tolerate".

But Ms Plavsic's opponents remain defiant. Momcilo Krajisnik, the Serb representative on the Bosnian collective presidency and a strong supporter of Mr Karadzic, told the Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA: "If she continues to heed her so-called advisors, she risks being isolated...There is no force in the world which can save her."