AlbanianEconomy.comYour News from Albania
Kosovo Launches Armed Force, Serbia Furious
By Shega A’Mula in Pristina
Pristina | 21 January 2009 | Kosovo on Wednesday inaugurated a NATO-sponsored security force that is an army in all but name, taking a firm step to full statehood after its secession from Serbia last year.
The new force replaces the Kosovo Protection Corps, the territory’s first quasi-military body that was set up after the end of the 1998-99 war between ethnic Albanian guerillas and Serb forces.
Kosovo declared independence last February after almost nine years as a United Nations protectorate, but is still supervised by international monitors and Serbia is blocking its entry into the UN.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci stressed that the Kosovo Security Force meets the requirements set by UN mediator Martti Ahtisaari, whose report served as a basis for Kosovo’s current status of “supervised independence.” He vowed it would represent all of Kosovo’s citizens, including representatives of the Serb minority, most of whom reject the secession.
“The security forces will fully abide by international standards, the Kosovo constitution and NATO standards.” Thaci said. “I have every confidence that, given that the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) is multi-ethnic and professional, that the new security forces will also be formed along the same lines, and fully in accordance with Western and NATO standards.”
The 2,500-strong new force will be outfitted in army uniforms given by the United States, featuring Kosovo’s flag sewn onto the left sleeve, an insignia tag with each soldier’s brigade unit on the right, and their rank and surname on the front. They will drive German cars and carry German guns, and are due to start their training under British command early in February.
Although Kosovo and international officials are careful not to call it an army, the Security Force will be organised along military command lines and fulfill most of the functions of any national army, including foreign peacekeeping duties under the umbrella of NATO, which still maintains a large peacekeeping in Kosovo.
Understanding the significance of the move, Serbia has said it will never accept its formation.
“The only way for stabilisation in Kosovo is a process of demilitarisation” Serbian President Boris Tadic said in an interview for TV B92, adding that the “formation of armed forces is against United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244,” which stipulates that only UN peacekeepers in Kosovo can be armed.
The vice-president of the Serb National Council, a Belgrade-financed parallel structure operating in Serb areas, especially in north Kosovo, has slammed the creation of the force, saying it was a means of control over the Serbs of Kosovo.
“All security formations and institutions formed in Kosovo, given that they’re mono-national, actually have battle at the top of their agendas or the priority of data and information collection of those who they perceive to be least loyal—namely, the Serb community and the Serbian state,” said Rada Trajkovic.
The Serbs — some 100,000 among Kosovo’s two million people — was hostile to the previous body, the KPC, because it was overwhelmingly made up of former ethnic Albanian veterans of the war. The conflict rumbled on for over a year until NATO bombed in 1999 to expel Serb forces accused of atrocities against civilians.
Aware of the sensitivities, NATO sources said that one of the main conditions for future members of the KSF will be the knowledge of both the Albanian and Serbian language.
Lah Nitaj, advisor to the Minister of the Security Forces told Balkan Insight that while “2,600 former KPC members had applied to get into the Security Force, only 1,300 were accepted.” Those who were not successful would be taken on a government program intended to teach them other skills and prepare them for civilian jobs.
Military and security expert Ramadan Qehaja told Balkan Insight that he believes the Security Force is currently too small to have real military influence and ability. However, he sees this changing in the future, as NATO begins to withdraw its troops from Kosovo.
“Taking into consideration the withdrawal of NATO troops within Kosovo, which I believe will begin later this year because of NATO’s responsibilities in other parts of the world, the Security Force needs to build competence to fill this void,” he said.
Qehaja sees improvements, particularly because the Security Force is entitled to carry weapons, something not allowed to the Kosovo Protection Corps so it “can be considered a starting point for the establishment of an army.”
Source: Balkaninsight
Other Articles
Leave a Reply
