By Michael J. Murphy,
Sarajevo, 06 September 2024, dtt-net.com – Some of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) political leaders along with outside commentators and experts have called for the Alliance to expedite BiH’s NATO membership. We understand and share their concerns about the changed geopolitical context and the threats to BiH posed by the secessionist rhetoric and actions of Mr. Dodik and the Republika Srpska government.
The United States’ commitment to BiH’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and multiethnic character is long-standing and rock solid. It is not contingent upon BiH’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. The United States, like NATO, is not going to allow a security vacuum to develop in BiH. Nor are we going to allow domestic actors to lead the country into another conflict.
BiH’s aspirations to join NATO are welcome. The United States supports BiH’s eventual accession to NATO, and as BiH works towards that goal, we have championed, and will continue to champion, a robust political and practical partnership between BiH and NATO – a partnership that yields tangible benefits for both sides. BiH’s aspirations to join NATO are also clear. They were set out in law almost 20 years ago. Article 84 of the 2005 Law on the Defense of BiH obligates BiH’s government – the Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Ministers, the Presidency, and all defense authorities – to “conduct required activities within their respective constitutional and legal competencies, with the aim of the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to NATO.” In this vein, the United States has long provided practical support to the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of BiH (AFBiH), and other BiH government institutions to help them prepare BiH for NATO membership. This support will continue.
But it takes more than aspirations to transform BiH into the Alliance’s 33rdmember. Membership is not a favor bestowed upon a country by Allies. It is something a prospective ally earns. It requires hard work, focus, and difficult decisions by the aspirant country. In short, a country needs to do its homework to become a NATO member. Recognition of this reality is almost always missing from calls for immediate or accelerated NATO membership for BiH. The unfortunate fact is that BiH has not been doing its homework. This is a problem not just of the current government. It was true of the last government as well. Neither the current coalition nor the current opposition should be pounding their chests about their work when it comes to NATO.
In 2019, BiH submitted its first Reform Program to NATO. Unfortunately, the Reform Program’s annual adoption has become highly politicized, and BiH has rarely submitted the document on time to NATO, if at all. Mr. Dodik has been the chief obstructionist. But putting politics aside, the Reform Program has devolved into a yearly box-checking exercise. It is not being used as a vehicle to drive forward serious, meaningful reform. Sometimes I wonder if those most vocally advocating for accelerated NATO membership for BiH – a call that implies BiH has implemented or is implementing its Reform Program – have even read the document.
The Reform Program is broad, covering topics as diverse as the need to combat corruption and organized crime to human rights and environmental protection. But I want to zero in on the sections dealing with defense reform, which are the most important and most relevant to the work of the Ministry of Defense and the AFBiH. Most importantly, the document highlights the 2016 Defense Review and accompanying 2017-2027 AFBiH Modernization Plan. These are strategic, guiding documents that NATO Headquarters Sarajevo helped finalize after more than seven years of tireless work. What has been done since 2016? Well, implementation of the Defense Review has not even begun, and now, some portions of it are outdated. It is our understanding that just four percent of the Modernization Plan has been implemented.
We recognize that implementing the Defense Review is hard and requires political will across the government, not just within the AFBiH and Ministry of Defense. Property issues are sensitive, undoubtedly. Sufficient resourcing for the defense sector, as reflected in BiH’s state budget, is not in the Ministry of Defense’s control. For years, Mr. Dodik and his allies have starved all BiH state-level institutions of the resources they need to function effectively, making serious defense modernization, capital investments, and proper maintenance of equipment and infrastructure nearly impossible. BiH’s meager defense budget is a disservice to the men and women in uniform who serve this country.
But let’s be clear. For more than a decade, the Ministry of Defense has lacked the bold leadership and genuine political commitment it needs to advance defense reforms – many of which are within the Ministry’s purview to address. Again, this problem is not inherent to any one political party. Governing parties and current opposition parties share the blame.
While the work of defense reform is not easy, it is not impossible. Diligent and continuous work is critical to building the cross-party and cross-ethnic support required to achieve success. It was done in the past immediately after the AFBiH’s creation when leaders put progress above politics. It can and should be done again. My government applauds the way the AFBiH’s most senior generals, Lieutenant General Knezevic, Major General Ahmic, and Major General Kolenda, support one another, communicate daily, and remain focused on improving conditions for AFBiH soldiers. We wish we saw more of this within the Ministry of Defense.
Effective and efficient budget execution is essential for all NATO members, and in BiH, there is an urgent need for reform. Yet, little has been done. For a sector so starved of resources, it was disappointing to see the Ministry of Defense fail to expend its 2023 budget, losing out on approximately 30 million KM. Leaders in BiH failed to plan strategically and forge consensus on priority projects. Efforts to repurpose these funds were too late. This leadership failure was a boon for those political forces who argue against a larger defense budget. Just think about the benefits to the men and women of the AFBiH if just one-third of that 30 million KM had been invested in improving AFBiH infrastructure. Win-win situations for all sides were possible, but the leadership failed to deliver them.
Priority one for any NATO member is to take care of its soldiers, and BiH’s defense procurement system is failing the AFBiH. AFBiH commanders are forced routinely to use the urgent procurement mechanism just to feed and provide for their soldiers. Centralized contracting and procurement of perishable items, like fresh fruit, have resulted in large deliveries of these goods at one time, leading to waste. A better system would allow local vendors to provide such items on an as-needed basis. The United States, NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, and other key Allies have advocated consistently for changes that would decentralize some procurement decision-making to make the system more efficient and allow field commanders to make small purchases. Of course, any changes must abide by the law. But progress on this issue has been too slow.
A NATO member does not maintain excess, unstable, and useless ammunition and weapons. The United States was pleased to see the Council of Ministers adopt an Annex to the 2008 Doboj Agreement this April that would facilitate the Ministry of Defense’s efforts to sell old, excess ammunition and weapons and scrap metal, which would bring in millions in more revenue that could be used to purchase new, more modern equipment. However, since April, there has been no further progress, which is baffling. The international community is eager to support the Ministry by holding a workshop on Annex implementation, but the Ministry has dragged its feet.
The resolution of the issue of non-prospective defense sites, in accordance with existing legislation, would also have a positive knock-on effect to the defense budget. As the Reform Program recognizes, “funds earmarked for these purposes will be redirected for the purposes of…equipping the AFBiH.” The AFBiH has far too much property given its size, and the maintenance of this property serves as a drag on financial and human resources. Consolidation is possible and long overdue. It would get the AFBiH out of the business of guarding old, decrepit defense sites that it no longer needs. Everyone knows this, but Ministry of Defense leadership has failed to make it a priority to build the consensus among political leaders necessary to resolve this problem. A NATO member must make effective and efficient use of its soldiers, deploying them where they will have the most impact on security. That is not happening in BiH.
NATO members understand that effective human resource management is a strategic enabler. There is a pressing need for human resource management reform within the Ministry of Defense and the AFBiH. We know that the AFBiH will face significant personnel losses in the next two to three years due to retirements. An enhanced focus on accessions into the force; improvements to retention efforts, including via the creation of “retention officers;” and establishment of a modernized career management program are critical to building and sustaining an armed forces capable of meeting its NATO capability and interoperability goals and fulfilling its mission here in BiH. This work is not glamorous, but it is essential and has not been done.
In recent years, the AFBiH’s Light Infantry Battalion Group, Explosive Ordnance Disposal platoon, and military police platoon worked towards and earned its NATO Evaluation Level 2 certification. This was a major milestone and one to be proud of, demonstrating that the AFBiH can work using the same language, same procedures, and same equipment as the world’s most advanced militaries. During the same time, however, the United States purchased boots for the AFBiH, and other Allies, like Germany, purchased uniforms for them. It is hard to explain or rationalize this reality: at a time when the AFBiH rose to the occasion to meet the highest standards set by the NATO Alliance, it was forced to turn to partners to provide the most basic of necessities for its soldiers. This is unsustainable.
Since its formation, the AFBiH has represented the very best of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a multi-ethnic team of dedicated professionals, who serve with distinction and honor at home and abroad. Every individual solider I have met during my time as Ambassador – whether in Manjaca, Glamoc, or Sarajevo – has impressed me as a patriot and a public servant. There is no other country more invested in BiH and in supporting the AFBiH than the United States. My country is proud to support BiH’s brave men and women in uniform.
The basis of any great friendship is honesty. Nearly 30 years after the end of the war here in BiH, this is not where we wanted the AFBiH, or BiH, to be, but it is where we are. Rhetorical commitment to BiH’s NATO future is insufficient. Bold leadership, genuine commitment, and strategic vision are required to address bedrock, structural issues and advance important defense reforms. The United States stands ready to support those who are willing to do the hard work – those who understand that NATO membership is not given. It is earned.
—————————————————————————————————————————————–
Michael J. Murphy is Ambassador of the United states of America to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This opinion of his was first published at embassy’s X account.
