Irish troops safe in Bosnia, insists O'Dea
Tensions have increased in Bosnia-Herzegovina since Kosovo declared independence but Irish troops are safe, Defence Minister Willie O’Dea said tonight.
Beginning an official visit to the war-torn state, Mr O’Dea said he wanted to meet military leaders and check current morale among the 44 Irish personnel serving as part of the EU-led Eufor mission.
The decision by Kosovo to declare independence from Serbia on February 17 sparked riots and led to foreign embassies being set alight by protesters in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
Speaking about the issue, Mr O’Dea said in Sarajevo tonight: “The Kosovo situation has heightened the tensions here, there is no doubt about that.”
But he added: “The security situation remains stable and I will be anxious to find out what impact it is having on the ground here. I want to learn the up-to-date situation.”
The minister also confirmed that there was no threat to Irish troops serving in Chad after an EU peacekeeping jeep that encroached into Sudan was attacked. One of the two French soldiers in the vehicle remains missing.
The 14-nation mission of 3,700 troops to Chad and the Central African Republic is protecting refugees fleeing the Darfur region.
The operation is commanded by Irish Major General Pat Nash in Paris.
In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mr O’Dea said he would be also studying how policing reforms are progressing.
Ireland has participated in the EU-led mission in the war-torn region since 1997.
Irish personnel are currently stationed there as staff officers or as part of the military police and weapons verification teams.
Mr O’Dea and his officials will hold meetings with international military and diplomatic figures in the region.
He is also expected to be briefed on the current security situation in relation to Irish troops, which is currently described as calm and stable.
More than 100,000 people were killed in Bosnia during the Balkans War in the 1990s following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.
Mr O’Dea’s delegation includes the Defence Forces chief of staff Lt Gen. Dermot Earley and the secretary general of the Department, Michael Howard.
There are a total of 7,000 international troops serving with the Eufor mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which are provided by 23 EU member states and six non-EU states.
The Eufor multinational stabilisation force recently had its mandate extended until November 2008.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has a population of about four million people, is currently bidding to become a member of the EU, along with other parts of the former Yugoslavia such as Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.
Mr O’Dea will also use his visit to meet with the Irish Ambassador to Slovenia, Patrick McCabe, who has diplomatic responsibility for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
