Bosnia and Herzegovina: managing weapons

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Southeast Europe, on the Balkan peninsula. It was formerly part of Yugoslavia until claiming independence in 1992, which started a three-year war in the region.

HALO's work here focuses on marking weapons and training local law enforcement in effective weapon management.

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Weapons marked

Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Bosnian War began in 1992, after Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In the devastating fighting that followed, it is estimated that 100,000 people were killed and two million were displaced.

The conflict left a legacy of weapon stockpiles in the Balkans. As a country with high numbers of civilian-owned firearms, this increases the likelihood of unlawful use.

This was brought sharply into focus by the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris in 2015. The weapons used in that attack were believed to be sourced from this region.

Large collection of rusting weapons in the countryside in Bosnia and Herzegovina

"By reducing the stockpile of weapons and simultaneously marking and registering guns within government or civilian ownership, we can limit the illicit smuggling and exchange of weapons and make a tremendous contribution to safety and security in BiH."

Colonel Martin Trachsler, SAWAD/EUFOR, Bosnia

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HALO's work and impact in Bosnia and Herzegovina

HALO has been active in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2017. We're helping the government to meet its obligations in the control of guns. We're currently working in partnership with Small Arms Survey, the Ministry of Defence, BiH Armed Forces and European Union Force Althea (EUFOR). We're working together to establish a sustainable and comprehensive weapons management system. This reduces the risk of illicit gun ownership and trafficking.

We're sourcing equipment and developing the necessary infrastructure and support for the inventory and marking of all weapons held by the military.

We're also conducting training in marking, registration and record-keeping. This will help the national authorities to have the skills and capacity to meet their gun control obligations in years to come.