Security Council Shrinks the UN's Colombia Mission at Bogotá's Request, Renews Bosnia Force, and Extends Libya Mission Over Greek and Russian Abstentions

The UN Security Council on Friday renewed three missions on the same day it let its Western Sahara mission lapse, narrowing the UN's role in Colombia, extending the EU-led force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and renewing the UN mission in Libya, according to the UN's official meeting summaries.

The Council unanimously adopted resolution 2833, extending the UN Verification Mission in Colombia until Oct. 31, 2027, and focusing it on its core job of verifying the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC-EP guerrillas, the summary says. Colombia's new government under President Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella, who took office Aug. 7, had proposed refocusing the mission on reintegration of former combatants and security guarantees, while scaling back attention to rural reform, which it argues is a national responsibility.

Colombia's representative said that "without security, peace is nothing but an idea. Without justice, without reparation, peace becomes impunity." He said Colombia went from 20,420 members of illegal armed groups in 2016, when the agreement was signed, to 29,004 in 2026, an increase of nearly 42% in 10 years.

The U.S. changed its position. "A year ago, we would not support this Mission's mandate," the U.S. representative said, because its tasks "were unachievable." She said Colombia had asked to narrow the mission's scope, and that UN field missions "need to focus on core peace and security objectives and get out of the business of doing everything for everyone."

Others were more cautious. Denmark's delegate said the reduced mandate "should not be considered as the UN stepping back." Russia voiced regret over removing the rural reform mandate, and Panama said it hoped the changes would not reduce the mission's presence in the regions. The United Kingdom, which drafted the text, noted that more than 11,000 former combatants remain demobilized.

In a second vote, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2834, renewing for 12 months the authorization of the EU-led stabilization force EUFOR-Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which helps carry out the military parts of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, according to the UN summary. The meeting followed Bosnia's Oct. 4 general elections and a Sept. 7 state funeral in Belgrade for Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb commander convicted of genocide. "Reconciliation remains essential," the U.K. representative said, condemning the glorification of Mladić. The Peace Implementation Council appointed Louis Crishock acting high representative on June 30 after no agreement was reached on a successor to Christian Schmidt, who resigned in May.

In a third, the Council extended the UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, for one year until Oct. 31, 2027, by a vote of 13 to none, with Greece and Russia abstaining, according to the summary. The resolution backs Special Representative Hanna S. Tetteh's efforts toward an inclusive political process and asks the mission to expand its presence in Benghazi, Sabha and Sirte without new spending. It calls on Libyan institutions to negotiate toward presidential and parliamentary elections and urges full implementation of the October 2020 ceasefire, including withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces.

Greece, which holds the Council presidency for October, objected to a Türkiye-Libya memorandum on maritime boundaries ratified Oct. 20 by Libya's House of Representatives. "This MoU is a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of the international law of the sea," Greece's representative said. Russia said its proposals were not all reflected in the text.

The U.S. delegate said Libya could become "a booming centre of international commerce, energy, shipping, finance" with unified leadership, and warned leaders who enrich themselves that "there will be consequences for that behaviour." He also objected to language on the UN's 2030 sustainable development agenda.

China's delegate said the Colombia mission's role "should be fully leveraged" and that "security and development should go hand in hand." On Libya, China said implementing an agreement reached by the "4+4" dialogue group, which brings together two representatives from each of Libya's four main rival institutions, is an important task for the mission's next phase.

Taken together with the Western Sahara vote, the U.S. statements in Friday's debates favored narrower mandates requested by host governments and opposed renewing missions unchanged year after year.

Still unknown: how many Colombia mission staff will be cut under the narrower mandate, and whether Libya's rival institutions will act on the Council's call for elections.