KFOR

Encyclopedia : K : KF : KFO : KFOR

For other uses, see (disambiguation)}}}.

Pocket badge of the KFOR (note 'KFOR' in latin and Cyrillic)

German KFOR soldiers and an armoured vehicle in Southern Kosovo in 1999

German KFOR soldiers patrol Southern Kosovo in 1999

Ukrainian soldier on foot patrolling in Serbian village near Brezovica

KFOR vehicle of the French Army

The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo.

This peace-enforcement force entered Kosovo on June 12 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Contents

1 Background
2 Objectives
3 Structure
4 Contributing nations
5 See also
6 References and external links

Background

Prior to the establishment of KFOR, Kosovo was facing a grave humanitarian crisis. Military and paramilitary forces from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) were fighting day and night. Ethnic tensions were at their highest and claimed the lives of many. Nearly one million people had fled Kosovo to seek refuge where their lives would not be endangered.

Objectives

The objectives of KFOR are to establish and maintain a secure environment in Kosovo, including public safety and order; to monitor, verify and when necessary, enforce compliance with the agreements that ended the conflict; and to provide assistance to the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

Structure

KFOR contingents are grouped into four multinational brigades. Although brigades are responsible for a specific area of operations, they all fall under a single chain of command under the authority of Commander KFOR.

Contributing nations

At its height, KFOR troops numbered 50,000 and came from 30 different NATO / Non-NATO nations. The nations contributing the most to KFOR include the United Kingdom (19,000 troops), the United States (7,000), France (7,000), Germany (6,000), Italy (5,000), Russia (3,000?), The Netherlands (2,000), Ukraine (1,300), and Spain (1,200) [link]. As of 2004, approximately 18000 troops were stationed in Kosovo, which included the departure of Russian troops.

Other contributing NATO Nations include Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey.

Other contributing non-NATO Nations include Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Morocco, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.

References and external links