Kosovo Protection Corps

Infobox National Military
country=Kosovo
name=Kosovo Protection Corps
native_name=Trupat e Mbrojtjes së Kosovës


caption=


caption2=Flag of the Kosovo Protection Corps
founded=September 21, 1999
current_form=1999
branches=
headquarters=
commander-in-chief=Sylejman Selimi
commander-in-chief_title=Lieutenant General
commander=
commander_title=
age=-
conscription=
manpower_data=
manpower_age=-
available=5,052
available_f=
fit=
fit_f=
reaching=
reaching_f=
active=
ranked=
reserve=
deployed=
amount=US$ 25.4 million
percent_GDP=0.79
domestic_suppliers=
foreign_suppliers=
imports=
exports=
history=Kosovo Liberation Army
ranks=

The Kosovo Protection Corps ( _sq. Trupat e Mbrojtjes së Kosovës) is a civilian emergency services organisation in Kosovo.

The KPC was created on September 21, 1999 through the promulgation of UNMIK Regulation 1999/8 and the agreement of a "Statement of Principles" on the KPC's permitted role in Kosovo. Its membership was initially composed largely of the Kosovo Liberation Army veterans.

History

Immediately after the end of the war and the dislocation of NATO forces in Kosovo, emerged the need for the definition of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) role in accordance with the new situation. UN Resolution 1244, approved on June 1999, included KLA demilitarization

Therefore the same month, KFOR Commander, General Mike Jackson, and Hashim Thaçi, as General Commander of KLA, who at the time was Prime Minister of the Provisory Government of Kosovo, signed the Agreement for the Demilitarization and Transformation of the KLA.

Upon the completion of the demilitarization process, in September 1999 SRSG Dr. Bernard Kushner signed Regulation nr 1999/8 for the foundation of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC), which then is followed by the Declaration of Principles, signed by the KPC Commander and the KFOR Commander.

Immediately following the approval of these acts, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) initiated the registration campaign of the KLA fighters, lasting from July 23rd to November 31st, 1999. According to IOM documents the total registration ammounted to 25.723 fighters.

Mission

UNMIK Regulation 1999/8 assigned the following tasks to the KPC:
*Provide a disaster response capability to tackle major fires, industrial accidents or toxic spills;
*Conduct search and rescue operations;
*Provide humanitarian assistance;
*Assist in de-mining;
*Contribute to rebuilding infrastructure and communities.

The Kosovo Protection Corps has no role in defence, law enforcement, riot control, internal security or any other law and order tasks. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, the head of the UN in Kosovo, exercises direction, funding and administrative authority over the KPC. The Commander of KFOR, the NATO-peacekeeping force, is in charge of exercising day-to-day supervision of the KPC.

The KPC's first commander was Agim Çeku, who resigned from the organisation in 2006 to become Prime Minister of Kosovo. Lieutenant General Sylejman Selimi, a former KLA military leader, is the current commander. The KPC is divided into six regional "Protection Zones," each with a regional commander. Allegations of misconduct and discipline violations have dogged the KPC since its formation. In June 2001, several senior officers in the KPC were removed for suspicion of aiding the ethnic Albanian insurgency in Macedonia.

The province is the subject of a long-running political and territorial dispute between the Serbian (and previously, the Yugoslav) government and Kosovo's ethnic Albanians. Most Albanians consider the KPC a potential nucleus of a future army should Kosovo win independence. International negotiations began in 2006 to determine the final status of Kosovo ("see Kosovo status process") which led in 2007 to proposals for 'supervised independence' which did not gain approval from the UN Security Council. Those proposals called for the disbanding of the KPC within one year and the establishment of a new and lightly-armed Kosovo Security Force (KSF).

In 2008 the KPC is standing down, with the simultaneous standing up of the KSF. Their role will include explosive ordinance disposal as well as response to civil emergencies. The KSF has required that all prospective members apply, and that having served in the KPC does not guaranty a position with the KSF.

The KPC has 5,052 members, [ [http://www.tmk-ks.org/new/english/pertmk/per.php KPC's website: KPC's History and Mission] . Accessed October 26, 2007.] and a budget of €17.6 million (US$25.4 million) [ [http://www.tmk-ks.org/new/english/pertmk/per.php?id=3 KPC's website: Budget] . Accessed November 1, 2007.] representing ca. 0.79% of GDP. [UNMIK PDF| [http://www.unmikonline.org/docs/2007/Fact_Sheet_apr_2007.pdf Fact Sheet: Kosovo In April 2007] |126 KiB : 2006 GDP according to the International Monetary Fund is € 2.227 billion (preliminary estimate).]

ee also

* Kosovo Liberation Army
* Military of Kosovo
* KFOR
* Kosovo Police Service

References

External links

* [http://www.tmk-ks.org/ Kosovo Protection Corps]
*PDF| [http://www.unmikonline.org/regulations/1999/re99_08.pdf UNMIK Regulation No. 1999/8 on the Establishment of the Kosovo Protection Corps] |84.8 KiB , September 20, 1999.
* [http://www.nato.int/kfor/kfor/kpc/images/kpc_stru_reg.gifStructure of the Kosovo Protection Corps]