Switzerland to send 12 more troops to EUFOR mission in Bosnia

CF: strengthen EUFOR ALTHEA, 12 additional military personnel in 2027 Keystone-SDA

The Swiss government has asked Parliament to approve the deployment of a further 12 armed military personnel to the European Union’s peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR Althea.

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According to its message submitted on Wednesday, the mandate would run until 2027.

The extra troops will be assigned to transport duties and general staff roles. In its note, the government said Switzerland’s contribution would help support the EU’s efforts to stabilise the region.

Switzerland has taken part in EUFOR Althea since late 2004, contributing a contingent of 20 armed military personnel. The mission is based on a UN Security Council resolution first adopted in November 2004 and renewed several times since, most recently last October.

+Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in BalkansExternal link

The Swiss parliament approved the deployment of armed soldiers in December 2004. In Wednesday’s statement, the government stressed that “neutrality does not apply to measures taken by the UN Security Council”.

+ What Switzerland achieved at the UN Security CouncilExternal link

Austria is due to take command of the EUFOR Althea mission in 2027. Vienna will therefore send more than 100 additional troops, on top of the 200 soldiers it already has deployed.

Switzerland has been asked to join this support contingent, and with Wednesday’s decision the government has agreed to do so. The deployment of the 12 additional troops will run only until 2027, the period during which Austria will hold command of the mission.

The government says the temporary reinforcement of the contingent is “in Switzerland’s strategic interest”. Experience from other missions – notably KFOR in Kosovo – has shown that even relatively small increases in support can help strengthen Switzerland’s own defence capabilities, it noted. Such deployments also align with the country’s foreign and security policy objectives.

Translated from Italian by AI/sp

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