27 years since the decision to transform the KLA

Twenty-seven years have passed since the important decision to transform the Kosovo Liberation Army, while its demilitarization and the creation of the Kosovo Protection Corps continue to be regarded as some of the key steps in strengthening the country’s security institutions.

After the end of the war, this process was carried out under international supervision and laid the foundations for building local capacities in the field of security and defense. This development would be followed years later by the establishment and advancement of the Kosovo Security Force, which today is the main institution for protecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Twenty-seven years ago, in the Berisha mountains, Kosovo’s leaders made the decision to transform the KLA, thus marking the beginning of a new stage in the building of post-war institutions.

The agreement governing this transformation included several phases, such as the surrender of weapons, the temporary retention of uniforms, and the inclusion of some former KLA members in the police, public administration, and other institutions.

This entire process was completed within 90 days, at the end of which the full demilitarization of the KLA was concluded.

On September 20, 1999, the agreement on the establishment of the Kosovo Protection Corps-KPC was signed, a structure that was not conceived as a military force, but as a civilian emergency organization for dealing with natural disasters and other extraordinary situations.

The agreement was signed by Hashim Thaçi, in his capacity as the KLA’s political commander, and Agim Çeku, as Chief of the KLA General Staff, while it was accepted by British General Mike Jackson, the first commander of KFOR in Kosovo.

One of those involved in this process, General Kadri Kastrati, describes it as a historic moment of particular significance.

Now, after more than two decades, Kastrati speaks about today’s Kosovo Security Force, which he describes as the pride of the country.

The transformation of the KLA and the establishment of the KPC are considered one of the most important phases in building Kosovo’s security capacities. For many former members, the KPC was seen as a continuation of efforts to create a local defense force, a goal that became reality years later with the formation and development of the Kosovo Security Force.

Today, the Kosovo Security Force is the country’s main defense institution, tasked with safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as aiming to contribute to international peacekeeping operations together with its international partners.