Irish authorities are assessing the possibility of increasing the number of the country’s soldiers in NATO’s mission in Kosovo, KFOR, following the end of the United Nations peacekeeping commitment in Lebanon.
At present, around 13 Irish soldiers are serving in KFOR, while military planners are examining the possibility of strengthening their presence both in this mission and in the European Union’s Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Irish Times reported.
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However, the process is still at an early stage, and no decision has yet been made on how many troops could be sent to the two missions.
The review of potential international commitments is linked to the decision to gradually close the UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon, where more than 300 Irish soldiers are stationed. The withdrawal of troops is expected to begin at the start of next year, bringing to an end Ireland’s nearly five-decade presence in the region.
Irish military structures have asked the government to identify other international missions in which the Defence Forces could participate. This would create new opportunities for personnel to serve and help retain soldiers in the military.
Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, Chief of Staff of Ireland’s Defence Forces, has warned that the closure of the mission in Lebanon will be a challenge for the country’s military. According to him, this does not mean the end of Irish participation in missions abroad.
A possible expansion of the contribution to KFOR and Althea could take place even if the three-part approval mechanism known as the “Triple Lock” remains in force, as both operations are supported by United Nations mandates.
Under this mechanism, the deployment of more than 12 Irish soldiers to peacekeeping missions abroad requires a UN mandate. The Irish government intends to remove this requirement, arguing that it allows Russia and China, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, to block the deployment of Irish troops.
Opposition parties, meanwhile, are defending the “Triple Lock” and view it as an important safeguard for maintaining Ireland’s neutrality.
