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Althea Bosnia: green light for a smooth transformation of the operation?

(photo credit: Eufor Althea)

(BRUSSELS2) The 27 Foreign Ministers will consider, on Tuesday (once again!), the future of the military operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Eufor ALTHEA). The Swedish presidency seems determined to take action and win an agreement to allow the size of the operation to be reduced - from 2000 men to 200 - and transform it into a government and army security assistance mission Bosnian. It is more than necessary. Apart from changes of command, football or volleyball tournaments, and various visits, the military operation no longer really has any justification, in itself. This point is not disputed by anyone, both on the diplomatic (EU and Member States) and military sides.

By next year anyway, the numbers will drop steadily. Bulgaria thus announced that it would withdraw most of its troops (120). Italy (300), Poland (190) and Spain (300) are seriously considering it. The need for the use of force in other parts of the world - in particular in Afghanistan for the NATO operation - as well as the economic and budgetary crisis force, in any case, most States to make choices.

On the other hand, the countries of the region (Hungary, Slovakia, Austria...) are more suspicious, but they seem a bit alone. They consider it inappropriate to let our guard down and have expressed reservations about the Swedish project. They may feel, not without reason, that maintaining troops, even passively, is necessary for the stability of the country, that it has a deterrent effect. For them, any withdrawal would be a bad sign, an encouragement to extremists of all persuasions.

The Swedish presidency has thus prepared a draft agreement which "spares the goat and the cabbage". It makes it possible to deal with any eventuality: sudden decrease in manpower, worsening of security, preservation of the only EU operation under the Berlin Plus mandate (with NATO command resources). It is also part of the perspective of the EU accession process. The 27 thus reaffirm their full and complete support for "the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina"Operation ALTHEA is"an important part of the EU's overall action in Bosnia and Herzegovina to support a political process aimed at enabling this country (...) to continue to move forward in the integration process to the EU" they explain.

The future of the operation - according to the draft conclusions that I have been able to read - could thus revolve around three principles:

1) Launch “ as soon as possible "of a military operation" non-executive "aiming" support for capacity building and training. It would go like this: as part of the current Operation ALTHEA "," subject to finalizing the necessary arrangements ". For the 27, security sector reform is an important part of the overall reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina ».

2) Maintenance of the military operation in its current format. The executive tasks of Operation ALTHEA should " continue in their current form until November 17, 2010” (expiration of United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1895), therefore, a little beyond the elections scheduled in Bosnia and Herzegovina for October 2010. Even if the numbers will decrease, the essentials are safe: l operation continues.

3) Possibility of a device " residual " Next. The EU is " ready to assume an executive role beyond 2010, under a residual UN mandate, should the situation so require ". " Means of maintaining adequate situational awareness using relevant EU instruments will be actively explored. » It does not eat bread...

Comment: the political green light is thus given to plan and set up the security assistance mission and organize the slow decrease in the workforce.

(NVP)

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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