The cabinet has approved an increase of the Swiss peacekeeper contingent in Kosovo to help dismantle a military camp in the south of the former Serbian province.
The defence ministry said the 220-member Swisscoy force can be extended by up to 40 staff for a period of four months.
Stationed in Kosovo since 1999, Swisscoy has run the Casablanca camp at Suva Reka jointly with Austrian troops.
The Swiss forces at Suva Reka, which are part of the international Kfor mission, will be stationed at other camps in Kosovo according to the defence ministry. Their mandate runs out in 2014.
Last August the cabinet decided to increase by 15 members the number of peacekeepers to take over a regional liaison unit in the north of Kosovo for a 12-month period in 2012.
Swisscoy forces are armed for self-defence but they do not participate in peace enforcement operations.
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Swisscoy force in Kosovo boosted for lead role
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The cabinet approved an increase of 15 staff members for the 220-strong Swisscoy contingent, according to the defence ministry. As of next January Switzerland will be in charge of a joint regional unit of liaison and monitoring teams in the north of Kosovo for 12 months. Swisscoy has been stationed in Kosovo since 1999. In…
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Some 15 soldiers serving with the Swisscoy peacekeeping mission were dispatched to the north of the country on Saturday where tensions have risen in recent days. On Friday, some 2,000 angry Serbs faced off against Kfor forces in the village of Rudare, north of Mitrovica, forcing the multinational troops to retreat in order to avoid violence.…
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The House of Representatives on Monday followed the Senate in agreeing the continuing deployment of Swiss troops in the former Serbian province until the end of 2014 despite opposition from the rightwing Swiss People’s Party and members of the Greens. Supporters, including Defence Minister Ueli Maurer, said the presence of an international peacekeeping force was…
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Swisscoy has been part of the multinational Kfor troops in Kosovo since 1999. The main work of the Swisscoy mission is transport, water treatment and mineclearing. (Pictures: Tomas Wüthrich)
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.