Pocket badge of the KFOR

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 image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Taken from NATO site: [1] Conditions Governing the use of Video & Photographic Material from the KFOR Multimedia multimedia: No material is to be used for advertising purposes whatsoever. ... Taken from NATO site: [1] Conditions Governing the use of Video & Photographic Material from the KFOR Multimedia multimedia: No material is to be used for advertising purposes whatsoever. ... 300px|center|Brezovica Area: 91,2 km² Population  - males  - females 9. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2428x1739, 1899 KB) French Peugeot P4 Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: KFOR Peugeot P4 ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2428x1739, 1899 KB) French Peugeot P4 Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: KFOR Peugeot P4 ... The NATO flag NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4... Kosovo (Albanian: Kosovë / Kosova, Serbian: Косово и Метохија / Kosovo i Metohija) is a province of Serbia. ...

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. June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization that describes itself as a global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 defined the legal status of Kosovo as a UN protectorate, under its administration, while being legally an autonomous constituency of Serbia and Montenegro. ...

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. Official language Serbian written in Cyrillic alphabet1 Capital Belgrade2 President3 Svetozar Marović Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 105th 102,350 km² 0. ... Image:Uck-kos. ...

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). The United Nations Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is an interim civilian administration of the Serbian province (as part of Serbia and Montenegro) called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), under the authority of the United Nations. ...

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) [1]. As of 2004, approximately 18000 troops were stationed in Kosovo, which included the departure of Russian troops. The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ...

Other contributing NATO Nations include Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, 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, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.

See also

• NATO
• Peacekeeping
• UNPROFOR
• IFOR
• SFOR
• EUFOR
• NATO Medal
• Camp Bondsteel

The NATO flag NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Pocket badge of the UNPROFOR The United Nations Protection Force, UNPROFOR, were the primary UN peacekeeping troops in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav wars. ... The acronym IFOR may also refer to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. ... Pocket badge of the SFOR The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. ... European Army EUFOR former Commander General David Leakey Soldier of the EUFOR participating in operation Spring Lift, as part of Althea The EUFOR or European Union Force is an international military force under the supervision of the European Council. ... NATO Medals for Yugoslavia and Kosovo The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. ... Camp Bondsteel is the main base of the United States Army under KFOR command in the province of Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), Serbia and Montenegro. ...

References

• KFOR official site (NATO)
• K-For: The task ahead (From BBC News)