The Dutch contribution to United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH)
One of UNIPTF’s main objectives was to create a political and social climate in Bosnia in which elections could be held. The main focus of its work was on observing and inspecting the police and the judicial apparatus. The Task Force also had to support the reorganisation of the police and judicial system from December 1996, including the training of police officers and judicial officials.
UNIPTF enlarged
UNIPTF also had to investigate human rights violations by local justice officials and police. The size of UNIPTF was, therefore, increased from 1.721 to 2.038 personnel. UNIPTF’s headquarters was located in Sarajevo and 3 regional offices were based in Banja Luka, Tuzla and Sarajevo. The 3 regions were divided into districts, each of which had several stations and sub-stations, which were linked to local police stations.
Royal Netherlands Marechaussee personnel
On February 16 1996, the Dutch government undertook to deploy 50 Royal Marechaussee police officials as part of the UNIPTF in Bosnia. The Dutch contribution to the UNIPTF rose to 52 personnel in 1997 and to 55 in February 1998. The work of the unarmed UNIPTF personnel was not without risk, however. During the NATO air strikes on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the spring of 1999, UNIPTF personnel were faced with demonstrations which often got out of control. As a precaution, the crews of a number of UNIPTF posts in the Republika Srpska – including 14 Dutch Marechaussee personnel – stayed in the Muslim-Croat Federation, particularly at night. The European Union took over the police mission from the United Nations on 1 January 2003.
Mine clearance
The Dayton agreement stipulated that the former warring parties must, under the supervision of IFOR/SFOR, clear the estimated 1 million mines in Bosnia. During the 1st few months, NATO military personnel concentrated primarily on clearing mines from the main supply routes. Once the military threat had abated, there was more scope for humanitarian mine clearance. UNMIBH set up a United Nations Mine Action Centre (UNMAC) on 20 May 1996. UNMAC gradually started to hand over responsibility for the mine clearance programme to the Bosnians (BHMAC) from 1 July 1998. The international personnel returned home in the second half of 1998, with the exception of the staff officers who stayed behind to keep BHMAC’s activities on the right track.
Dutch contribution
On September 30 1997, the Ministry of Defence supplied UNMAC with an officer and an NCO for a period of 3 months. Subsequently, a group of 11 Dutch mine clearance instructors were deployed on 13 March 1998, followed by 2 supervisors on 24 March. The 11 Dutch instructors were split between 2 instruction teams, 1 in Banja Luka and 1 in Tuzla. The instructors returned to the Netherlands in the middle of 1998.
The Bosnian mine clearance platoons worked under the watchful eye of international supervisors, 2 of whom were Dutch. These Dutch supervisors returned home on 18 December 1998.
BHMAC increasingly professional
At the request of the UN Development Program (UNDP), the Netherlands provided what was known as an expert on mission with effect from 1 July 1998. BHMAC developed over the years into what was by Bosnian standards a professional and modern organisation, which had virtually no further need of management advice. The cooperation between the UNDP and BHMAC was, therefore, brought to an end in the middle of 2004.
This was in keeping with the aim of the international community to transfer tasks to the Bosnian authorities and there was, therefore, no longer any need to keep a Dutch adviser in place. The last serviceman returned to the Netherlands on 9 July 2004.