On Tuesday, a contingent of 50 soldiers of the German Army (Bundeswehr) will arrive as part of the EUFOR Althea mission.
According to the German newspaper Spiegel, the German Bundestag approved the deployment of German soldiers in BiH in July.
Initially, a smaller number of soldiers should arrive, and then gradually increase, said the Bundeswehr command.
The role of the German soldiers in Sarajevo should be to coordinate the training of members of the BiH Armed Forces. Two liaison and observation teams should be located in the RS.
The German army participated in the EU mission from 2004 to 2012. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense in Berlin cited the tense political situation in BiH and the influence of Russia as reasons for the return, according to Spiegel.
The number of personnel to deploy will be up to a maximum of 50. These new EUFOR personnel will provide additional capacity in EUFOR HQ and for EUFOR’s network of Liaison and Observation Team (LOT) Houses which are located on an impartial basis all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. LOT Houses are EUFOR’s link to local communities and local authorities.
These EUFOR LOT personnel live within their local communities and allow EUFOR to maintain a positive and important relationship at a local and regional level. The LOT Houses also provide an opportunity for BiH citizens to maintain contact with EUFOR, enabling direct dialogue between EUFOR and BiH citizens.
This deployment is a further demonstration of the EU’s commitment to a stable, prosperous and European future for all the citizens of BiH.
