By Sama Marwan,
The European Union has announced a temporary increase in the size of its peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a ban imposed by recently convicted Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik on government institutions in Serbian-majority areas, raising concerns over separatist tendencies.
According to the EU force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as reported by the European magazine Politico on Saturday, the force will expand its numbers in the coming days in a “proactive step aimed at supporting the country’s stability for the benefit of all citizens.”
Although no specific figures were provided regarding the additional troops, local media reports indicate that the EU will add 400 soldiers to its existing force of 1,100 troops.
This move is part of “Operation Althea,” the European mission tasked with implementing the peace agreement that ended the Bosnian War (1992–1995).
Dodik, the leader of the Serb entity in Bosnia, was convicted in late February of violating this agreement and sentenced to one year in prison, along with a six-year political ban—a verdict Russia has described as “politically motivated,” calling for an emergency UN Security Council session to discuss the case.
Since Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, Dodik has met with President Vladimir Putin multiple times, adopting anti-Western stances and asserting that Brussels has no right to intervene in countries like Ukraine and Bosnia.
Serb nationalists continue to support Dodik, as the Parliament of Republika Srpska passed laws preventing state-level security, intelligence, and judicial institutions from operating within the Serb-controlled region. This aligns with Dodik’s repeated threats of secession if legal actions against him by Bosnian state institutions—which he deems “illegitimate”—persist.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned Dodik’s actions, asserting that they “undermine the stability and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” He also urged U.S. partners in the region to counter this “dangerous and destabilizing behavior.”
