The European Union has handed over specialized DNA laboratory equipment worth €138,600 to Bosnia and Herzegovina's Agency for Forensic and Expert Examinations (AFEE), aiming to strengthen domestic capacities for DNA-based identification of missing persons from the 1990s conflict. The equipment, delivered on 1 July 2026, will support post-mortem DNA sample processing and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the missing persons process, according to a press release from the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The handover event at AFEE's laboratory facilities brought together representatives of the European Union, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), and AFEE. The laboratory premises were renovated and equipped with EU support, while ICMP provided technical assistance through practical training at its DNA laboratory in The Hague, development of Standard Operating Procedures, and expert guidance.
Magdalena Mueller-Uri, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to BiH, said the handover marks a major advance in strengthening Bosnia's capacity for DNA-based identification. She urged authorities to take urgent steps to recruit additional qualified DNA analysts and make the laboratory fully operational, stressing this is essential for accounting for missing persons, upholding the rights of their families, and advancing the rule of law and Bosnia's EU path.
AFEE Director Radisa Samardzija noted that while the laboratory now has the necessary infrastructure and procedures, its full operational capacity depends on sustained institutional commitment and adequate staffing. He said the priority is to recruit at least two additional qualified DNA analysts to maximize the value of the investment.
Samira Krehic, Head of ICMP's Western Balkans Program, highlighted that Bosnia has achieved globally unprecedented results in accounting for missing persons, with more than 75 percent of reported missing persons identified through a science-based process supported by ICMP. She said the establishment of domestic DNA processing capacities is an important step toward long-term sustainability, but without sufficient staffing and sustained institutional commitment, the laboratory cannot yet assume post-mortem DNA processing responsibilities. She called the engagement of the Bosnia government of utmost urgency.
The process of accounting for missing persons remains one of the most important rule-of-law issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina. More than 7,000 persons reported missing from the 1990s conflict have still not been accounted for, and families continue to seek truth and justice. The EU and ICMP remain committed to supporting Bosnian authorities in building sustainable domestic capacities for DNA-based identification and strengthening the long-term institutional framework necessary to account for the remaining missing persons.