, The UK battle group in Bosnia-Herzegovina will be withdrawn at the end of next month, the Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram announced today.
More than 600 troops, principally from the Welsh Guards, will return to the UK, ending more than 15 years of continuous military presence in the country, though a small number of staff officers will remain at the EU's military headquarters in the capital Sarajevo.
Mr Ingram said:
“It is clear that Bosnia-Herzegovina is becoming increasingly safe. In recent years, there have been increasing indications of a security situation approaching normality. Parliamentary and Presidential elections took place last year and were judged to be free and fair. Significant steps in defence reform have been made resulting in the establishment of a single, multi-ethnic military force which is compatible with NATO.
“Perhaps most importantly, the majority of people displaced from their homes during the war have chosen to return, many of them to areas where they do not belong to the majority ethnic group. The time is right, then, to reassess the role of the international military presence.”
In December, EU foreign ministers agreed, in principle, to transition EUFOR from a large dispersed force structure to a smaller, centralised structure. Yesterday, at a meeting of the Political and Security Committee, EU member states gave the final approval, in light of the continually improving security situation, to this change.
The resulting reduction in force levels, from approximately 6000 troops to 2500, will allow Bosnia-Herzegovina to take more control of its own affairs.
Mr Ingram added: “The EU decision to move to transition is in accordance with clear military advice that the security situation is stable and that the local authorities are able to cope with all but the most serious incidents. The Welsh Guards will therefore not need to be replaced with any further manoeuvre troops. I will, of course, ensure that appropriate provision is made to assure that a smooth transition is accomplished.
“As we come to the end of UK military operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, we can look back and see the contributions we, as part of international forces, have made to the rebuilding of a country destroyed by conflict.
“But we must also look to the future. There is still progress to be made, particularly in terms of pushing forward key political reforms, ensuring less nationalism in political discourse, and developing the state level institutions. The UK must, and will, remain engaged as Bosnia-Herzegovina strengthens her position within Europe and beyond.”
Mr Ingram paid tribute to the work of British forces, saying:
“Our courageous and professional armed forces have done an exceptional job in Bosnia. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude. They are working extremely hard at the moment, and I am pleased to be able to announce this draw down which will go a little way towards easing the pressure they are under.”
Background Information
1. The UK first deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992, in response to inter-ethnic violence resulting from the collapse of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia
2. Since then, the UK has held a continuous presence, contributing to the maintenance of a safe and secure environment. The UK led EUFOR for its first year of operations and has been the lead nation in Multinational Task Force (North West)in Banja Luka where the Welsh Guards are currently based. We also have a continuing commitment to the pan-Balkans Operational Reserve Force.
3. UK troops have been engaged in large numbers of operations to recover illegally held weapons, ammunition and explosives as well as assisting the local authorities combat organised crime. These latter operations have seen the confidence and capacity of the local authorities improve significantly. As such, much of the responsibility for security has been transferred to indigenous agencies.
4. The UK also provides post conflict assistance to Bosnia-Herzegovina through a successful bilateral relationship and the varied activities of the cross-Government Global Conflict Prevention Pool.
5. There are still dangerously high levels of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Bosnia-Herzegovina. To this end, the UK has funded an Explosive Waste Incinerator at a cost of
