EUFOR continues to act under its UN Charter Article VII mandate to support the local authorities, which includes the AFBiH, in maintaining a safe and secure environment for all people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) were formed by a Law on Defence (2005) which was enacted unanimously at the BiH Parliamentary Assembly by ruling parties at the time.
EUFOR believes that any statements which serve to undermine the AFBiH and their legal status as the single, united, military force of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina are counter-productive and should be avoided.
The AFBiH is made up of people from all 3 constituent peoples and others. They work for, and on behalf of, all peoples of BiH, thus contributing to the resilience of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The AFBiH has transformed from a security consumer, to a security provider following the successful conclusion EUFOR’s Capacity Building and Training programme in 2018. AFBiH regularly trains in combined and collective exercises with EUFOR which displays its readiness for involvement in Peace Support Operations. The AFBiH also plays an important role in supporting the disaster relief capacities of the civilian authorities.
EUFOR is proud of its association with AFBiH and rejects any statements or activities that could divide this organization and jeopardize the success that AFBiH has achieved in terms of providing a single, state-level, and internationally respected, military force, which represents all people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
