UN extends mandate of EU peacekeeping mission in Bosnia

Peacekeeping forces of the European Union in Bosnia, also known as Operation Althea, whose mission is to ensure the further observance of the Dayton Peace Agreement of 1995, which ended the war of 1992-2005, will continue its presence for another year.

This is reported by Balkan Insight.

Western countries feared that Russia, as one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council, could block the continuation of the mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and further destabilize the Western Balkan region.

At the Security Council meeting, however, all 15 members voted in favor of the draft resolution on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Russia had previously warned that it could veto the decision, arguing that "the security situation in the country is stable," based on the latest report of EU forces to the UN.

Because of fears of such a scenario, U.S. senators on Aug. 5 proposed new legislation called the Democracy and Prosperity in the Western Balkans Act, which states that the U.S. should support maintaining the EUFOR mandate in Bosnia.

Operation Althea involves about 1,200 soldiers from 20 participating countries spread throughout Bosnia. The number of soldiers increased by 500 in March, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Author - Olena Madiak, 04/11/2022