EUFOR Althea
Encyclopedia
European Union Force Althea is a military deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina
to oversee the military implementation of the Dayton Agreement
. It is the successor to NATO's SFOR
and IFOR
. The transition from SFOR to EUFOR was largely a change of name and commanders: 80% of the troops remained in place. It replaced the NATO-led SFOR on 2 December 2004.
Civilian implementation of the Dayton Agreement is enforced by the Office of High Representative
. EUFOR has 2,503 troops from 27 countries, mostly from the countries of the European Union
. There are however, additional troops from other countries such as Chile
and Turkey
.
EUFOR's commander is currently Major General
Bernhard Bair (Austrian), since December 2009. For this mission, the European Union Military Staff
is using NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
(SHAPE) as the EU's Operational Headquarters (OHQ) and is working through the Deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander
Europe, a European officer.
The EUFOR assumed all the missions of the SFOR, except for the hunt for individuals indicted by the war criminals tribunal, notably Radovan Karadžić
, former leader of Republika Srpska
, and Ratko Mladić
, their former military leader, which remained a mission for NATO through NATO Headquarters Sarajevo. The EUFOR does have police duties against organised crime, which is believed to be linked to suspected war criminals. It works with the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUPM) and with the Bosnian Police
.
On 28 February 2007, the European Union announced that the force would be cut in size to about 2,500 troops over the next few months.
, the total force of EUFOR are at 2,173 troops from 28 nations.
, the Troop-Contributing Nations (TCNS) were as follows: from the EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK; and from outside the EU: Albania, Chile, FYROM, Switzerland, and Turkey.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
to oversee the military implementation of the Dayton Agreement
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
. It is the successor to NATO's SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
and IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
. The transition from SFOR to EUFOR was largely a change of name and commanders: 80% of the troops remained in place. It replaced the NATO-led SFOR on 2 December 2004.
Civilian implementation of the Dayton Agreement is enforced by the Office of High Representative
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...
. EUFOR has 2,503 troops from 27 countries, mostly from the countries of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. There are however, additional troops from other countries such as Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
EUFOR's commander is currently Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Bernhard Bair (Austrian), since December 2009. For this mission, the European Union Military Staff
European Union Military Staff
The European Union Military Staff is a department of the European Union , responsible for supervising operations within the realm of the Common Security and Defence Policy...
is using NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
(SHAPE) as the EU's Operational Headquarters (OHQ) and is working through the Deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander
Supreme Allied Commander
Supreme Allied Commander is the title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances. It originated as a term used by the Western Allies during World War II, and is currently used only within NATO. Dwight Eisenhower served as Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary...
Europe, a European officer.
The EUFOR assumed all the missions of the SFOR, except for the hunt for individuals indicted by the war criminals tribunal, notably Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
, former leader of Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, and Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić is an accused war criminal and a former Bosnian Serb military leader. On May 31, 2011, Mladić was extradited to The Hague, where he was processed at the detention center that holds suspects for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
, their former military leader, which remained a mission for NATO through NATO Headquarters Sarajevo. The EUFOR does have police duties against organised crime, which is believed to be linked to suspected war criminals. It works with the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUPM) and with the Bosnian Police
Bosnian Police
The Bosnian Police consists of two police entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Police and the Republika Srpska Police. Bosnia also has its Counter Terrorism Agency - State Investigation and Protection Agency...
.
On 28 February 2007, the European Union announced that the force would be cut in size to about 2,500 troops over the next few months.
, the total force of EUFOR are at 2,173 troops from 28 nations.
, the Troop-Contributing Nations (TCNS) were as follows: from the EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK; and from outside the EU: Albania, Chile, FYROM, Switzerland, and Turkey.
Commanders
- British Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
David LeakeyDavid LeakeyLieutenant-General Arundell David Leakey CMG, CBE is a former British military commander. He was Director General of the European Union Military Staff in the Council of the European Union, Brussels...
2 December 2004 - 6 December 2005 - Italian Major General Gian Marco Chiarini 6 December 2005 - 5 December 2006
- German Rear AdmiralRear AdmiralRear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Hans-Jochen Witthauer 5 December 2006 - 4 December 2007 - Spanish Major General Ignacio Martín Villalaín 4 December 2007 - 4 December 2008
- Italian Major General Stefano CastagnottoStefano CastagnottoStefano Castagnotto, born 2 June, 1956, is an Italian army officer, of Major General rank, who served as the force commander of EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 4 December 2008 until 3 December 2009...
4 December 2008 - 3 December 2009 - Austrian Major General Bernhard Bair 4 December 2009 – present
See also
- Military of the European UnionMilitary of the European UnionThe military of the European Union today comprises the several national armed forces of the Union's 27 member states, as the policy area of defence has remained primarily the domain of nation states...
- European Union rapid reaction mechanismEuropean Union rapid reaction mechanismThe EU rapid reaction mechanism is a streamlining of existing European Union law and Framework Law regarding "the alleviation of crises, through human rights work, election monitoring, institution building, media support, border management, humanitarian missions, police training and the provision...
- Common Security and Defence Policy