Hungarian Troops in Stable, But Fragile Region

Stable but fragile. this is how analysts describe today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the European Union's peacekeeping mission is being led by a Hungarian commander, Major General Laszlo Sticz, as of January. The Hungarian Defense Forces are participating in this operation with 400 soldiers, which is three times the earlier troop count, including domestic support forces stationed in Hungary. According to the major general, their tasks in support of local authorities are wide-ranging, from air rescue to mine clearance to the work of canine bomb disposal teams. However, as a senior officer, he promised soldiers' families that he would do his utmost to ensure that everyone returned home safely at the end of their service.

20231218 Budapest Az Európai Unió bosznia-hercegovinai békefenntartó missziója, az EUFOR Althea kiutazó magyar kontingensének kibocsátó ünnepsége Fotó: Mirkó István MI Magyar Nemzet képen: Sticz László kiutazó EUFOR parancsnok Fotó: Mirkó István

As of January, you are commander of the EU's mission (EUFOR Althea) in Bosnia and Herzegovina for one year. What do we need to know about your career so far? Why were you chosen for this position?
I began my military career at the military college in Eger and subsequently continued my education at the Kossuth Lajos Military College. I earned a Master's Degree in Military Leadership from the Zrinyi Miklos University of National Defense, followed by a Ph.D. In 2015, I completed the NATO Defense Academy's Strategic and Senior Leadership Training. During my first assignment, as a mechanized rifle officer, I served as platoon commander. Later, progressing through various roles, including company commander and battalion chief, I led a mechanized rifle battalion. Prior to my appointment as EUFOR Operations Commander, I already gained experience in Balkan missions at the Joint Operations Center at NATO's headquarters in Kosovo. From 2003 to 2006, I also served as an international force planner at NATO headquarters in Belgium. Subsequently, I applied this knowledge in defense planning at the Hungarian Defense Ministry, and later at the headquarters of the Hungarian Defense Forces. 

I also served as deputy commander of the Hungarian Defense Forces Health Center, then as the institution's chief of staff, and in 2022 I was appointed Head of the Hungarian Defense Forces Modernization and Transformation Command. I am now leaving this post to head the forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the one year Hungarian command. 

I believe that the Defense Ministry and the leadership of the Hungarian Defense Forces have entrusted me with this mission based on my knowledge and experience, deeming me suitable and qualified for the role.

What exactly is this military operation about?
 

Operation EUFOR Althea is the EU's largest military operation which took over NATO's peacekeeping role in Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 2, 2004. 

Operating under an annually renewable mandate from the United Nations, EUFOR focuses on supporting the training and development of the armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina in alignment with NATO standards. It serves as a deterrent force while fulfilling responsibilities under the Dayton Agreement that brought an end to the war in Bosnia, aiding local authorities and organizations in maintaining a peaceful and secure region. The overarching goal is to contribute to the EU's long-term objective of guiding Bosnia and Herzegovina toward EU membership, fostering stability, viability, peace, and multi-ethnicity in collaboration with neighboring countries. Therefore, EUFOR plays a supportive role: it assists the authorities, organizations and military forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, since its authorities and citizens are primarily responsible for a given country.

Despite the fact that Hungary only plays a supportive role, we participate in this mission with almost three times the previous headcount, with around 400 troops.  Why is this necessary?
This increase is specifically linked to Hungary assuming command for the year.  The number of international military contingents, or even the number of contributing nations, is constantly changing. In this mission, for example, Austria's contribution will be smaller this year than in the past (due to Hungary taking over the command and associated posts), but several contributing nations (e.g. Romania) have recently increased the size of their contingent. Germany joined in the summer of 2022 and Sweden rejoined in November 2023. These adjustments always reflect the current security priorities of the nations concerned.

 This is understandable, since analyses have for years described the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina as stable but fragile.

Is this why an air search and rescue and air evacuation team is needed? What will the bomb disposal team provide, why will it have a dog patrol?
 

The main task of the Air Sand Rescue and Medevac team is to support the EUFOR staff, i.e. to ensure the rapid medical care of soldiers in distress and their rapid transport to the medical back-up facility. This capability will also be provided to the civilian population at the request of the BiH authorities, which, based on experience, generally involves rescuing injured hikers, as this is usually quickest done by helicopter in mountainous environments. 

In addition to training our own personnel, the tasks of the Bomb Disposal Unit primarily include supporting the Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces Demining Battalion and contributing to the national demining strategy. This is a particularly important task, as it is well known that the so-called humanitarian demining of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is still ongoing. This means clearing mines to a level that allows the population to return. The explosives detection canine patrols, on the other hand, will primarily be used to search vehicles and the sites of various events.

We will also be providing medical care, logistical support and supplies. What is your experience in this respect from the mission in Kosovo, where unfortunately several of our soldiers were seriously injured? Can our own medical personnel provide more effective care? 

Of course, care in the native language is always more effective with any injury or illness to be treated. At the same time, the offered Hungarian capabilities are part of the international mission, for example, some of our medical soldiers will serve as medevacs, and another will serve in Role-1, the medical center that provides primary medical care for all EUFOR soldiers, whose staff is international under an Austrian commander and a Hungarian deputy this year. And our support platoon (with transport and supply soldiers) will serve in the multinational battalion, within the Romanian-led core support company.
 

Another 150 people in Hungary are ready to support the operation. What will their task be ? How can you support a mission from home?
 

In addition to the forces to be stationed on site, the EUFOR Althea operation will be supported by a maneuver squadron, a military police unit, a technical unit with military engineer and explosives deactivating capabilities, and a chemical defense group for water purification capabilities, a total of about 150 personnel on standby here at home.

Their task, as the term suggests, is that they are on standby, ready for deployment in case the security situation deteriorates. Every year, EUFOR organizes the Quick Response exercise, when these standby forces - provided by several nations - are regularly activated in addition to the established forces on site, providing an opportunity for practicing skills and overseeing them.

In connection with every mission, the question usually arises as to whether our soldiers have to guard and protect Hungarian-owned industrial facilities or economic interests in the region.
Based on EUFOR's mandate, the staff of the international mission performs the guarding and protection tasks of the Butmir camp in Sarajevo, and during the time of the evacuations that of the temporary districts, but not other facilities.

Hungary's Minister of National Defense Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky put it this way: our southern border is under serious migratory pressure, terrorist organizations are becoming increasingly more active, and the consequences of the South Slavic war, as well as the forces that caused its outbreak, are with us to this day. What tasks will the mission have in this regard?
The security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as I have already mentioned, is stable but fragile. EUFOR is tasked with making stability, peace and security increasingly dominant as time progresses, and we can achieve this with the effective support of local authorities and organizations.

To this end, EUFOR pays special attention to the management of weapons and armaments accumulated in the Yugoslav war. This is coordinated by the special ammunition and armaments adviser of the EUFOR commander with the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I would like to emphasize the continuous exchange of information with the local authorities regarding migration.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has never been closer to joining the European Union, in December 2022 the country received EU candidate status, but this road is going to be bumpy and long.

The minister also mentioned the threat of terrorism. Is the influence of the Islamic State or other terrorist organizations likely in the region? 

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the propagandists of the Islamic State are in an easier position for cultural and religious reasons, but at the same time, the moderate Muslim communities in Bosnia are clearly in the majority.

They warn everyone against joining the Islamic State, and the leaders of the Muslim community take effective action against suspected terrorist activity that come to their attention.

What military equipment will our soldiers be provided with, how will they transport them and the members of the mission to the site, and how long will we be present in Bosnia and Herzegovina in these numbers?
The increase in personnel in 2024 is linked to the year of Hungarian command, from 2025 the Hungarian contribution will return to the previous level as planned. However, it must be emphasized that this is not a symbolic number either, as our EUFOR contribution of around 150 people will remain after 2024 with a maneuver squadron and staff positions, and in addition, the Hungarian presence at the NATO command in Sarajevo is also continuous, for example, the position of chief of staff has been held by Hungarian senior officers there for years. In the first half of January, we will deploy materiel primarily via public roads, this will mostly mean vehicles of different functions, but the new H-145s and troop-carrying Mi-17 helicopters will of course also fly out. We also plan the deployment of staff by military aircraft.
 

What performance would you be satisfied with, what goals were set for the mission?
As I have already mentioned, as the commander of EUFOR Althea, my task is to ensure that the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the various government bodies and the population of the country receive the support of international military forces from the mission to create and maintain a peaceful, safe and livable environment, and to they can manage the EU integration processes as efficiently as possible. 

But I also have a command responsibility to ensure the integrity of the forces and materiel entrusted to me and to protect my subordinates. As a Hungarian national senior officer, I have made a promise to the families of those being deployed that I will do my utmost to bring everyone home safe and sound at the end of my mandate.

How satisfied are our allies with the performance of Hungarian troops so far?
Over the last months of preparations, I have made several visits to European Union and NATO organizations, met with military leaders of many nations contributing to the EUFOR forces, and I can tell you that their opinions are in line with the words of Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky at the EUFOR farewell ceremony: 

There is no obstacle that the Hungarian soldier cannot overcome.

Cover photo: Commander Major General Laszlo Sticz at the deployment ceremony of the Hungarian contingent for the European Union peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR Althea (Photo: Istvan Mirko)