By demonstrating their capabilities on land and in the air, EUFOR soldiers wanted to show the 100% commitment of the European Union (EU), but also of the wider international community, to all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). This, they say, is important because of the unpredictability and variability of possible scenarios.
The purpose of the “Quick Response 2023” exercise is to demonstrate readiness and support for peace. EUFOR soldiers from 22 countries demonstrated their capabilities on land and in the air.
“The focus this year is not only on helping members of the international community in case of a dangerous situation but also on supporting local authorities as a second response. This is of particular importance at the present moment due to the unpredictability and changeability of possible scenarios, which requires us to be able to adjust forces in terms of presence, strength, and composition, especially in these recently volatile times,” stated Helmut Habermayer, EUFOR Commander.
After 15 years, Hungary will take over command from Austria in January.
“It is a country that is a member of the EU, that is a member of NATO, so it should have all democratic standards and principles in the conduct of its armed forces, which means complete depoliticization. Unfortunately, when it comes to this part of Europe, the eastern part of Europe, this part of the Balkans, we cannot say with certainty that it will happen exactly that way,” says Nedzad Ahatovic, a military analyst.
The EUFOR-Althea mission is the only one with an executive mandate to use force in the event of a threat to the country’s security.
“I see the danger, first of all, in the procrastination of decision-making. When it comes to matters that require urgent intervention, such as this current gathering on the inter-entity line, EUFOR actually failed there because according to Annex 1a in Article 4 on the deployment of troops for peace enforcement, EUFOR must not allow the blockade of the inter-entity line, not for our sake, but for its own security,” Ahatovic added.
There are 1.100 soldiers in the mission, and a total of 3.500 are available with the reserve. They are deployed in 17 locations throughout BiN. The United Nations (UN) Security Council should extend EUFOR’s mandate in November, Slobodna Evropa reports.
E.Dz.
