Multi-National_Division_(South-West)_(Bosnia)

Multi-National Division (South-West) (Bosnia)

Multi-National Division (South-West) (Bosnia)

Military unit

The Multi-National Division (South-West) was a military formation which formed part of IFOR, a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996, and then formed part of SFOR, another NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force, from 20 December 1996 until June 2004.

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Role

The division's role, passed down to it by IFOR, was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina – specifically in the South-West Sector.[1] From December 1996, the role passed down by SFOR was to "deter hostilities and stabilise the peace, contribute to a secure environment by providing a continued military presence in the Area Of Responsibility (AOR), target and coordinate SFOR support to key areas including primary civil implementation organisations, and progress towards a lasting consolidation of peace, without further need for NATO-led forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina" – again specifically in the South-West Sector.[2]

Component units

The division was based at Banja Luka and was British led: the British codename for its involvement in IFOR was Operation Resolute[3] and for its involvement in SFOR was Operation Lodestar.[4] Multi-National Division (South-West) included a British brigade (4th Mechanized Brigade from October 1995,[5] 1st Mechanized Brigade from April 1996,[6] 20th Armoured Brigade from October 1996[7] and 7th Armoured Brigade from April 1997)[8] as well as Canadian and Dutch units.[9]

Division headquarters was provided by 3 (UK) Division from December 1995 until June 1996[10] and again in January 1998 to August 1998;[11] Division headquarters was provided by 1st (UK) Armoured Division from June 1996 to December 1996[7] and again from August 1998 to March 1999.[12]

Commanders

British Lynx Helicopter in Bosnia, May 1996

Commanders were as follows:

References

  1. [1]
    The General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  2. [2]
    "SFOR MISSION". SFOR HQ Sarajevo: NATO. 14 January 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  3. [3]
    Croft, AM; Hopkins, JP (1997). "Medical repatriations from Operation Resolute (Bosnia)". J R Army Med Corps. 143 (1): 39–43. doi:10.1136/jramc-143-01-08. PMID 9089551.
  4. [4]
    Britain's small wars Archived 11 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. [5]
    The Blue Beret (December 2000/January 2001) Archived 26 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. [6]
    "History of 1st Mechanized Brigade" (PDF). Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  7. [7]
    Lord, p. 304
  8. [8]
    Fact file: 7th Armoured Brigade BBC, 20 January 2003
  9. [9]
    "British Forces Bosnia". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 18 July 1996. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  10. [10]
    "Army senior appointments". United Kingdom Government News. 23 July 2002. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  11. [11]
    Conrad, John (2011). Scarce Heard Amid the Guns: An Inside Look at Canadian Peacekeeping. Natural Heritage Books. ISBN 978-1554889815.
  12. [12]
    1 (UK) Armoured Division Global Security
  13. [13]
    "Major-General John Kiszely". SFOR. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  14. [14]
    "Previous Commanders". SFOR. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  15. [15]
    "No. 54952". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 November 1997. p. 12931.

Sources
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