Operation Amber Fox also known as Task Force Fox was a NATO-led operation in the Republic of Macedonia, led by Germany and the Netherlands and initially under the command of German Brigadier General Heinz-Georg Keerl.
The background for a NATO operation was the perceived need to provide international military protection in crisis situations to the international observers who were active in Macedonia following the Ohrid agreement and Albanian insurgency in the spring of 2001.
[1] In a letter dated 18 September 2001, the Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski asked the NATO Secretary General for a NATO military presence in the country, which should assist in the security of the international observers working there following the conclusion of Operation Essential Harvest.
[2] The mission officially started on 27 September 2001 with a three-month mandate, with the German army initially taking control.
[2][3] On 16 December 2002, the reduced size successor, Operation Allied Harmony commenced, which strove to enable Macedonia to guarantee security throughout the country within its own resources.