The European Union and Military Conflict Management: Defining, Evaluating and Achieving Success by Annemarie Peen Rodt

Author:Annemarie Peen Rodt [Rodt, Annemarie Peen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781317908159
Google: 9BVgAwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 21990964
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

This illustrates how Operation Althea has been and still is, albeit now to a lesser extent, perceived to be playing a deterrent role in BiH. A closer look at the conflict dynamics throughout the deployment confirms this. As in the Macedonian case, the security situation in BiH had much improved from when NATO initially engaged, immediately after the signing of the peace agreement, to the time when EUFOR deployed. The most important NATO achievements were the separation of warring factions and the development of a relatively stable security situation in BiH. Nonetheless, an authoritative international presence, both military and civilian, was thought essential to remain in BiH after NATO’s withdrawal (ICG, 2004).

Throughout the duration of the Althea operation, the principal challenge to domestic security in BiH has proved to be organized crime rather than renewed violent conflict. One might be tempted to ask then whether EUFOR was and still is really a conflict management operation? When this question was posed to a senior Western diplomat (Interview, 2009) who has worked in the region for many years, he said: ‘No, but it could have been!’ This quote illustrates precisely why EUFOR was and still is deployed in BiH: it is there just in case things deteriorate. The fact that it has not, the interviewee explained, was in large part down to the EU operation. When Althea was launched it was widely believed to be a necessity for the national security and territorial integrity of BiH that international troops would provide a credible military and political deterrent to further violence in that country. This was a similar line of thinking to that in the Concordia case, although in Macedonia the threat was perceived to be much less serious. In BiH the political structures were less stable and far from self-sustainable. Partition or indeed a return to war was perceived as a real threat both by many Bosnians and their international counterparts at the time of the deployment (Black, 2003; Harton, 2004; ICG, 2004).

Nevertheless, the security situation in BiH has remained stable and the country’s territorial integrity has not been challenged militarily since the signing of the Dayton Accords. This is attributable in part to EUFOR’s presence. National events, such as the annual commemorations of the Srebrenica massacre, which divide the population politically and emotionally, have taken place without a return to violence. This is but one indicator that EUFOR, which has had the principal responsibility for military conflict management in the country, has been doing its job well. Regional events such as Kosovo’s declaration of independence, which it was feared might provoke a deterioration of the security situation in BiH, also did not do so. It had a destabilizing effect politically, but militarily the country remained safe and secure (ICG, 2004 and 2008e). Whether Althea will continue to successfully manage the military aspects of this process and prevent more violence in BiH remains to be seen. So far there has been no resurgence of the violent conflict. The EUFOR operation as part

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