EUFOR: We are monitoring the situation and are ready to respond to all security challenges

The European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) continuously monitors developments in the country in close coordination with local security services and is fully aware of security issues, EUFOR stated for Radio Free Europe (RSE).

- EUFOR monitors the situation throughout the country and is ready to act within the mandate entrusted to it by the United Nations Security Council - the international forces stated in response to a question about readiness to respond to destabilizing statements by RS officials, regarding the upcoming sentencing of the president of this BiH entity, Milorad Dodik.

Sentencing on February 26

Namely, the pronouncement of the first-instance verdict for Dodik and co-defendant acting director of the RS Official Gazette, Miloš Lukić, has been announced before the Court of BiH on February 26. They are charged with disregarding the decisions of the High Representative of the international community in BiH, Christian Schmidt.

When asked whether EUFOR forces are ready to respond in the event of a large-scale security breach and if domestic police and military forces are unable to do so, they stated that "EUFOR structures are continuously and carefully calibrated to meet growing security needs."

- At this moment, our focus remains on maintaining stability and a secure environment. If we observe a significant deterioration of public order, or any threat to civilian safety, we will act in close cooperation with local authorities and our international partners, within our mandate - they stated.

Continuous assessments of the security environment do not indicate immediate signs of deterioration, EUFOR states, but despite this, troops remain fully ready to respond to various security scenarios.

Regular exercises

EUFOR explains that readiness is regularly tested through constant training and exercises, including the regular annual exercise "Quick Response," during which troops demonstrate the ability to support the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in maintaining a safe and stable environment, reports Radio Free Europe.

More than a thousand soldiers from the European Union, Switzerland, Turkey, and Chile have been keeping peace and security in BiH for two decades. EUFOR also has a mandate to use force, in case 16 domestic police agencies and about 8,000 domestic soldiers cannot maintain a stable environment.

Mission mandate until November this year

The military mission "EUFOR - Althea" was established in BiH on December 1, 2004, to take over the mandate from the NATO mission, which had lasted since the end of the war. The mission's mandate is approved annually by the United Nations (UN).

The UN Security Council unanimously extended the mandate of the European Union military forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR Althea) until November 2025 on November 1 last year.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the simultaneous secessionist steps of the pro-Russian authorities in the RS, EUFOR has doubled the number of soldiers to over 1,500, including helicopter and armored units.