Javier Solana announces NATO peace keeping operation IFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina🇧🇦 | 20 DEC 1995

On 5 December 1995 the North Atlantic Council meets at ministerial level. Foreign and Defence Ministers of all 16 nations affirm their commitment to continue the Alliance's efforts to bring peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
NATO formally endorses the deployment of 60000 troops in Bosnia. The German Parliament votes to contribute 4000 troops. In Paris, the Presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia sign the General Framework Accord for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. US troops arrive in Tuzla and UN hands over commands of military operations in Bosnia to NATO. NATO Commander, Admiral Leighton Smith, turns down requests by the Bosnian Serb Assembly leader, Momcilo Krajisnik, for delay of at least nine months in transferring Bosnian Serb areas of Sarajevo to Muslim control. France announces that it will resume its seat in the NATO Military Committee. The French Minister of Defence will also regularly attend the Defence Planning Committee and other meetings.
In this clip, Secretary General Javier Solana, announces the beginning of NATO’s first major crisis response operation, in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 20 December 1995. The NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) was deployed for one year to implement the military aspects of the Dayton Peace Agreement; it took over responsibility from the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR).
IFOR’s main task was to guarantee the end of hostilities and separate the armed forces of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the one hand, and Republika Srpska, on the other. It oversaw the transfer of territory between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, the demarcation of the inter-entity boundary and the removal of heavy weapons into approved cantonment sites. As the situation on the ground improved, IFOR began providing support to organisations involved in overseeing the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Dayton Peace Agreement, including the Office of the High Representative, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations.
IFOR's goals were essentially completed by the September 1996 elections. As the situation was still potentially unstable and much remained to be accomplished on the civilian side, NATO agreed to deploy a new Stabilisation Force (SFOR) from December 1996.
Admiral Leighton Smith commanded IFOR (COMIFOR) from the start of the operation on 20 December 1995 until 31 July 1996. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez then took command until 7 November 1996, followed by General William Crouch from 7 November 1996 to 20 December 1996.
The COMIFOR was based at operational headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia. Lieutenant General Michael Walker, Commander Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps (COMARRC) acted as Commander for IFOR's land component throughout the operation.
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