NATO REACTION FORCE SET TO BE DEPLOYED IN WESTERN BALKANS

Tue 01 October 2024:

NATO said Monday that around 200 personnel from its recently formed Allied Reaction Force (ARF) will be deployed to the Western Balkans between Sept. 30 and Oct. 16.

The personnel will be deployed “to conduct training to ensure its readiness and to support the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR),” said a statement by Allied Joint Command Force Naples.

The statement underlined that this marks the ARF’s first operational mission since its establishment in July this year.

“A military contingent of the ARF’s Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) of around 50 personnel will be in Kosovo and a forward command node of around 150 personnel will be established in North Macedonia,” it said.

Noting that the deployed forces will conduct training exercises to maintain their high readiness level and assess their ability to quickly mobilize a larger force, it added that a part of the ARF headquarters will temporarily integrate into KFOR’s command and control structures, tasked with evaluating logistical, infrastructural and operational support needs in case KFOR requires significant reinforcement.

NATO’s presence in the Western Balkans stems from its role in stabilizing the region after the violent conflicts of the 1990s, particularly in the former Yugoslavia. NATO’s involvement was primarily driven by its mission to bring peace and security to a region devastated by ethnic wars, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and later in Kosovo.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Bosnia and Herzegovina
NATO’s first major engagement in the Western Balkans came in Bosnia, following the Bosnian War (1992-1995). In 1995, NATO launched airstrikes to help end the war, leading to the Dayton Peace Accords. This was followed by the deployment of a peacekeeping mission, the Implementation Force (IFOR), and later the Stabilization Force (SFOR). Though NATO ended its peacekeeping mission in 2004, it remains involved in military training and security cooperation in the country.

Kosovo
In 1999, NATO launched a 78-day bombing campaign against Serbia to end the conflict in Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians were fighting Serbian forces. After the war, NATO established the Kosovo Force (KFOR), a peacekeeping mission that remains active to this day. KFOR’s role is to maintain security, ensure freedom of movement, and provide stability in Kosovo as it continues to navigate its independence from Serbia. KFOR is one of NATO’s longest-running missions, with troops from NATO member states and partner countries contributing to the force.

Partnerships and Cooperation
Beyond military presence, NATO works with countries in the region to help them strengthen their defense capabilities. Several Western Balkan countries have become NATO members, including Albania, North Macedonia, Croatia, and Montenegro. Other nations, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, maintain partnerships with NATO but have not yet joined the alliance.

NATO’s ongoing presence in the Western Balkans plays a crucial role in maintaining regional peace, supporting democratic reforms, and ensuring that conflict does not re-emerge in a region with a fragile post-war history.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

______________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22