Operation KOBOLD

Operation KOBOLD is the deployment of a five-member Canadian Forces team to Pristina, Kosovo, to serve at the headquarters of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR). Launched in August 2008 with an initial mandate of one year, Operation KOBOLD has been extended to September 2012.

Task Force Pristina

Task Force Pristina is the Canadian Forces team deployed on Operation KOBOLD. Its five members serve with KFOR’s Military-Civil Advisory Division, the group that co-ordinates efforts supporting the establishment of the new Kosovo Security Force (KSF). The Canadian team’s primary activity is management and allocation of funds and equipment donated to the Kosovo Security Force by the international community.

Kosovo Force (KFOR)

KFOR comprises about 6,240 troops from 30 countries, of which 24 are NATO nations. It is organized as four multi-national task forces supported by a reserve battalion, a specialist unit and a headquarters. KFOR works closely with the European Union (E.U.) — especially the E.U. Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) — and the U.N., as well as other international and non-governmental organizations.

KFOR’s mandate is to support the development of a stable, democratic, multi-ethnic and peaceful Kosovo.

Tasks

On 17 February 2008, when Kosovo declared independence from the Republic of Serbia, NATO confirmed that KFOR would remain in Kosovo on the basis of U.N. Security Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999, as agreed in December 2007 by the Foreign Ministers of NATO’s member nations.

KFOR is focussed on the establishment and development of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), authorized by Article 125 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Successor to the officially civilian Kosovo Protection Corps, the KSF is expected to reach initial operational capability with 2,500 active members and 800 reservists trained for crisis response, explosive ordnance disposal and civil protection. KFOR is providing logistics, administration and training support.

KFOR’s other tasks include:

• assistance with the return or relocation of displaced persons and refugees;
• reconstruction and mine clearance;
• medical assistance;
• security and public order;
• security of ethnic minorities;
• protection of heritage sites;
• border security;
• interdiction of weapons smuggling;
• implementation of a Kosovo-wide amnesty program to collect and destroy weapons, ammunition and explosives; and
• support for the establishment of civilian institutions, law and order, the judicial and penal systems, the electoral process and other aspects of the political, economic and social life of Kosovo.

Protection of minorities is a high priority. This task includes regular patrols near minority enclaves, checkpoints, escorts for minority groups, protection of heritage sites such as monasteries, and distribution of humanitarian supplies such as food, clothes and school supplies. KFOR continues to contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure environment in Kosovo for the benefit of all citizens, irrespective of their ethnic origins.

Background

KFOR was established as an international security force by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999 with a mandate to:

• Establish and maintain a secure environment in Kosovo, including public safety and order;
• Monitor, verify and, when necessary, enforce compliance with the conditions of the Military Technical Agreement and the UÇK Undertaking; and
• Provide assistance to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

KFOR stood up at the conclusion of Operation ALLIED FORCE, the 1999 NATO air campaign conducted from 23 March to 10 June against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, especially the Republic of Serbia. The primary objective of Operation ALLIED FORCE was to compel Serbia to cease its military operations against the Kosovo Liberation Army (Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës), which had produced a humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo. KFOR began deploying into Kosovo on 11 July 1999 under Operation JOINT GUARDIAN.

Canada’s major operations in the Balkan region

More than 40,000 Canadian Forces members have served in the Balkans region since 1992, and 23 have lost their lives there.

Operation HARMONY (February 1992–December 1995)

• United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR)
• United Nations Peace Forces (UNPF)

Operation ALLIANCE (December 1995–November 2006)

• NATO Implementation Force (IFOR)

Operation CHAPERON (February 1996–September 2001)

• United Nations Military Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP)

Operation PALLADIUM (December 1996–December 2004)

• NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR)

Operation KINETIC (June 1999–June 2000)

• Kosovo Force (KFOR)

Operation QUADRANT (June 1999–September 2002)

• United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)

Operation BOREAS (December 2004–March 2007)

• European Union Force (EUFOR)

Operation BRONZE (December 2004–29 March 2010)

• NATO Headquarters Sarajevo (NHQSa)

Operation KOBOLD (August 2008–present)

• Kosovo Force (KFOR)