Germany to send troops to Bosnia and Herzegovina after withdrawing 10 years ago

By Cuneyt Karadag

BERLIN (AA) - The German federal parliament approved a government's decision Friday to send troops to the EU Peacekeeping Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and extend the mandate of its armed forces deployed in Kosovo as part of a NATO-led international peacekeeping force for another year.

The tasks of the two missions were approved by German’s governing coalition -- the Social Democrats, Greens and the Free Democrats --during a vote in the Bundestag.

Germany will send 50 soldiers to EU Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) after withdrawing troop 10 years ago.

Meanwhile, a mandate for was extended for another year for 400 German soldiers serving in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission

The German army has been in Kosovo since 1999 as part of an international mission.

Operation Althea, formally EUFOR, is a military deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was established in 2004 to oversee the military implementation of the Dayton peace agreement and ensure security in the country.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.