EUFOR

The European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) is a military deployment to help keep the peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).  At least it used to be called EUFOR.  Now it is Operation ALTHEA.

The United Nations put a peacekeeping force called UNPROFOR in BiH  back in 1992.  As part of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords between BiH, Croatia, and Serbia (with Serbia also representing Srbska Republika), there was a one-year mandate for a multinational peace enforcement force.  The Implementation Force (IFOR), which replaced UNPROFOR, was led by NATO under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour.  

After the one year, IFOR was replaced by the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR).  SFOR was another NATO-led peacekeeping force, with several non-NATO countries contributing troops.  IFOR was replaced by EUFOR in December 2004.

NATO handed over its peacekeeping mission to the EU which is how EUFOR took over in 2004.  Operation ALTHEA ensures compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement and contributes to safe and secure environment in BiH.

There are about 1000 troops currently stationed in BiH from 19 different countries, including Czechland.  The countries are all EU and/or NATO member states with the exception of Chile which isn't either.  In December 2020, the UK withdrew its troops from EUFOR after 16 years due to Brexit. 

The EU also has an Intermediate Reserve Force based in Europe that can be deployed on short notice to reinforce EUFOR in BiH if needed.

The first five years each saw a commanding general from a different country.  For some reason, since December 2009, each year the commanding general comes from Austria.

Here are a couple of short videos I found on YouTube.

©EUFOR Althea

©EUFOR Althea

Update March 2023:  Here's the new EUFOR video.

©EUFOR Althea