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Kosovo Liberation Army

Kosovo Liberation Army Official Rejects Disarmament and Calls for NATO-Led Force

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A senior Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) official, Jakup Krasniqi, has stated that the guerrilla force will not disarm, despite being a central tenet of the proposed peace deal in Germany. Krasniqi insisted that the KLA would only support a peace accord that involves a NATO-led military force in Kosovo. This stance has created a widening division within the Kosovar leadership, with Krasniqi attacking Ibrahim Rugova, the longtime Kosovar political leader, who has been allowed to fly to Italy after being held in Yugoslavia for six weeks under house arrest.

Krasniqi denounced Rugova as a traitor, demanding a public explanation for his actions during his time in Serbia. Rugova, who had sought a nonviolent solution, gave almost no details about his last six weeks in Serbia, where he was shown on television meeting President Slobodan Milosevic and making conciliatory statements. American officials have backed Rugova as the true leader of the 1.8 million ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, but KLA officials insist that they are now the true voice of the people.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Kosovo Liberation Army, led by Jakup Krasniqi, has rejected disarmament and is demanding a NATO-led force in Kosovo.
  • Krasniqi attacked Ibrahim Rugova, the longtime Kosovar political leader, denouncing him as a traitor and demanding a public explanation for his actions.
  • Rugova has been allowed to fly to Italy after being held in Yugoslavia for six weeks under house arrest.
  • American officials have backed Rugova as the true leader of the 1.8 million ethnic Albanians from Kosovo.
  • The KLA has proven to be a wild card in the past, and its leaders' initial refusal to sign the Rambouillet accord caught United States officials off guard.
  • Ethnic Albanians will be able to live again in Kosovo with Serbs "who did not commit crimes," according to Krasniqi.
  • The KLA is a voluntary force but functions at a professional military level.
  • The KLA has been better armed and organized than a year ago, with reports of mixed success in fighting against Serbian forces.

Statistics:

  • 1.8 million: The number of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo.
  • 600,000: The number of Albanians ousted from Kosovo in six weeks.
  • 10%: The percentage of the population of Kosovo that are Serbs.
  • 200: The number of casualties in fighting between the KLA and Serbian forces over the last month.
  • Hundreds: The number of mortar rounds, recoilless rifles, and other small arms and ammunition possessed by the KLA.

Sources:

  • "A senior Kosovo Liberation Army official said today that the guerrilla force would not allow itself to be disarmed..." - The New York Times
  • "Mr. Rugova said today at a news conference in Rome that he had arrived in Italy to 'rebuild the political life of our country.'" - The New York Times
  • "The forces do appear better armed and organized than a year ago, the journalists said." - The New York Times

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