KSF transformation: New Efforts, Old Hurdles

Amid continued discussions about the creation of a regular army, Kosovo's government has launched a new push for reform of its security forces, which will be completed by the end of the year, Kosovo Security Force Minister Rrustem Berisha tells Berisha of the BiH BiH BiH, of the BIRN. KSF.

“Transform The KSF will be made through legal and constitutional changes. The mission will be changed by law; the name will be changed with constitutional amendments”, Berisha said.

In an interview for B The IERN, Berisha, said that in the next two months, authorities will submit a document describing the reform details of key international decision-makers and use it to lobby for support.

After that, in the fall, we will analyse the situation and decide what else we will do”, Berisha explained, adding that everything is being done just to finally be done.

However, local and international experts warn that without a proper political agreement on this issue between Kosovo Albanian and Serbian politicians, this transformation will remain blocked as it was for the past four years.

NATO officials and experts say that until such an agreement is seen, the KSF reform is likely to analyse.

Policy - Delayed Reform

Since 2014, Kosovo institutions have been trying to find ways to transform the semi-military formation of the KSF into military forces.

The reform is expected to increase the number of forces personnel, build its equipment and strengthen its competencies.

After Kosovo declared independence in 2008, The KSF replaced the Kosovo Protection Corps, (TMK), a body created after the end of the 1998-99 war and the devastating majority of former Kosovo Liberation Army members (UÇK).

The KSF mission, created in line with Martti Ahtisaari's (former UN envoy) Pacon, is limited to conducting crisis response operations in Kosovo and abroad and helping civil authorities respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.

Such tasks include search and rescue operations, disposal of explosives, control and dangerous materials, and other humanitarian tasks.

A decade after Kosovo's declaration of independence, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia continue to be high, however, Serbia still remains completely opposed to any reform suggesting the establishment of a regular Kosovo army.

Serbia and Serbian representatives in Kosovo also oppose the deployment of KSF units in northern Kosovo inhabited by Serb majority.

The reform is further complicated for the fact that this can be done only through constitutional amendments requiring a <x0 quadrupt” in parliament.

That means supporting two-thirds of the 100 Kosovo Albanian deputies and two-thirds of the 20 deputies of ethnic minorities.

While Kosovo Serbs hold 10 of the 20 countries reserved for minorities, they are effectively the key factor in the process.

In the spring of 2017, President Hashim Thaci tried to bypass this blockade by proposing changes that would enhance KSF responsibilities, but without including the adoption of constitutional amendments.

However, Kosovo Western allies, including NATO rejected the move.

New Efforts With the Same Old Problems

In May, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj launched a new initiative, inviting representatives of the international community and informing them of his plans to create an armed force without making constitutional demands.

Most embassies sent low-level diplomats, which was seen as a clear sign of opposition, but Haradinaj said he is determined to continue on.

We can't wait indefinitely. I have made it clear that the time has come to act,” said Haradinaj, but he was forced to withdraw the plan only a few days later.

The bill still stands in Haradinaj's office, as lack of internal consensus and external support made the Kosovo government reluctant to submit it to parliament.

Under this project, The KSF would increase its strength, military personnel from 2,500 to 5,000 regular members and from 800 to 3,000 reserve troops.

While Kosovo would also have a defence minister with an annual budget of 18.7m euros.

Given this draft law, Kosovo would also enable its Armed Forces to have military arsenals, including heavy weapons, aircraft, artillery, mortar, anti-aircraft and anti-responsive artillery.

Despite the objections, Minister Berisha remains confident that this transformation will take place this year.

Kosovo has the right to have its own army and I think we don't need to compromise on it,” he said.

According to international officials and local experts, however, the new initiative is destined to face the same old obstacles.

NATO officials stress their positions have not changed.

“Location NATO is clear. Any transformation of the KSF should be in line with the Kosovo constitution. It would require constitutional changes; and that would make the North Atlantic Council reconsider NATO's level of engagement in Kosovo, ” Colonel Vincenzo Grasso told BIRN of the mission NATO in Kosovo, KFOR.

The position of Kosovo Serbs also remains the same.

“List Srspka has very clear stance on what is called the founding of the Kosovo Army. We will not vote for the founding of the Kosovo Army” said Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Dalibor Jevtic, a senior figure within the Serbian List.

Naim Maloku, a former Kosovo politician and military analyst, says it will be difficult for the Kosovo government to avoid the procedure without addressing constitutional conditions.

“in 2014, the chance to create an army through constitutional amendments was lost and now the cost of this is so high that it can lead to the division of the country”, Maloku told BIRN.

He was referring to the time when the Serb community was represented in Kosovo's parliament by the Liberal Party (SLS).

Analyst Maloku says Serbia may also try to push for a third option, the formation of a separate entity, only Serbs within the KSF, which will be located in Serb-dominated parts of Kosovo.

But he thinks this approach should be avoided, as he can support a Serbian strategy aimed at the eventual division of Kosovo.

“KSF will remain as it is now. It's better to be without an army than to open the way for separation,” says Maloch for BIRN.

He added that NATO in any case could remain present to preserve peace in Kosovo for at least another 20 years.

The military would open discussions about NATO's role: If Kosovo's parliament were to approve the transformation of KSF into the military, it would open discussions about NATO's future role in Kosovo.

The KFOR mission, located in Kosovo since 1999, numbers 4300 peacekeeping troops that also support the KSF.

Currently, many people in Kosovo want to know when they will no longer have to depend on NATO's presence in Kosovo in the form of KFOR.

Security Force Minister Berisha, however, insists that KFOR will continue to carry out its duties in Kosovo regardless of whether there are military reforms.

“Transformation of KSF does not mean immediately assuming KFOR duties. We anticipate a transformation plan within 10 years”, he said.

Todd Jacobus, a retired American military officer and former deputy chairman of the NATO Consultative Team in Kosovo, says NATO must also commit more to facilitating the transformation process.

If the process is done in a democratic manner, NATO will not have any problem with the” decision, he said.

Some experts say one of Serbia's main problems with the reform plan is the use of the word “ustra”, which suggests a higher level of citizenship and independence than that Serbia is ready to accept.

But Björn Nilsow, a Swedish Army officer who served in Kosovo as a member of NATO's Consultation and membership, says Serbia and Kosovo Serbs are not blocking this transformation solely because of the word “ustari”.

“concerns giving and getting. In this case, by giving their approval, openly or silently. What has been offered to the Serb community, for example, the Association of Serbian Communists has not yet been formed”, Neilsow said.

The compromise to break the blockade seems impossible

But for that to happen authorities in Kosovo and Serbs must find a favourable solution for all sides.

“Independence or approval can be seen as a sign of political weakness, but both sides must compromise. One must find a way that works for a solution that is acceptable to both sides “, Jacobus said.

Minister Berisha, however, opposes any possibility of new Kosovo side compromises.

Kosovo has an untenable right to have its army”, he argues.

Marku Laamanen, a longtime Finnish diplomat in Kosovo, including deputy head of the OSCE mission, fears that the Sage of KSF transformation could continue for a long time. Especially if political positions do not change.

He doubts Kosovo can find a solution as long as the Belgrade-backed Serb List holds most of the Serb seats in parliament.

The so-called constitutional approach is out of the question and we can expect five more years without results of”, Laamanen said.

Meanwhile, Maloku says the KSF is not quite ready to transform into an army, even if it is politically possible to launch this process.

“would take at least 20 years to achieve NATO member army standards”, he said.