Minority Integration of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC)

(By Valon A. Syla)

Hello and welcome. From the studios of UN radio in Kosovo…

The Standards for Kosovo are seen as a top priority for the newly formed government of Kosovo. At the last meeting of the UN Security Council, UN officials set a target date of mid February or early March for the first review on the progress of fulfilling the 8 standards for Kosovo.

Among the areas praised by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was the work of the Kosovo Protection Corps and the progress that has been achieved to date. The Kosovo Protection Corps traces its history to the now decommissioned Kosovo Liberation Army, which was disarmed and turned into the KPC in 1999 during a process formally titled – “the Demilitarization of the KLA.” The successful integration of the KPC into a functioning civil emergency organization is one of Kosovo’s 8 Standards.

The goals set by the international community for fulfilling the KPC standard include: reduction of physical sites held by the organization, securing the organizations finances, building it’s professional capacity and the recruitment of minority communities members.

Atmosphere: (Office, papers… answering the phone)

Jeff Bieley, the UN spokesperson says:

Bieley

“In general the KPC is continuing to comply with the rule of law and exercise their duties in accordance with their mandate. Their performance has been good in particularly, in mine clearance, and rescue operations. There are some challenges on providing the funding for the international organizations, after the International Organization of Migration (IOM) has ended the mission with KPC, but they are continuing to look for other sources for funding”

According to UNMIK officials the discipline inside KPC has showed improvement – with fewer cases of duty noncompliance being reported. But the main challenge remains the recruitment of minority community members.

Again, UN spokesperson Jeff Bieley:

Bieley

“The campaign to recruit minorities to a quota to 10 percent is going forward but at the moment minorities make up only 4.5 percent of the active membership”

KPC officer Shemsi Syla says that the biggest minority recruitment challenge comes from the Serbian community. Syla stresses that only within the last month, have minority members been successfully integrated into the KPC. In December, 28 minority members joined, with 18 coming from the Serbian Community.

The multi-ethnic make-up of the organization is a condition for fulfilling the KPC Standard.

Syla

“Strong pressure was exerted by Belgrade politicians, and this has created confusion among the Serbs from Kosovo, and a kind of hesitation or wariness to become members of the KPC. We also hear similar words form the newly joined Serb members who face mounting pressure from members of their own community.”

With very little concrete signs of Serb integration into Kosovo’s interim governing institutions in the last five years, observers say that those Serbs joining the KPC ranks are potentially seen as traitors to their own communities – especially considering that the KPC evolved from the former KLA.

KPC officials say that such obstacles to minority recruitment imply the need for more help from the international community. Still, KPC official Shemsi Syla believes that during the next year, the 10 percent minority quota will be met. When this is achieved, Syla says, this standard will be that much closer to the label – fulfilled.

Syla

“I believe that there will be a positive evaluation from the international community, because we have achieved good results in the fields that we were asked to improve.”

Today, the KPC has certainly taken on a different role in society. Although the KPC uniforms still give the look of a functioning military, it is a long way off from the days when British NATO official, Sir Michael Jackson helped pen the agreement to demilitarize the Kosovo Liberation Army in 1999.

How much progress has been made by this organization will be determined no later than March of next year during the first reviews by the International community in evaluating the KPC Standard.

Thanks for listening and stay tuned as UN Radio in Kosovo will continue to follow this story – providing candid interviews with the KPC minority members in weeks to come.