The paper’s Brussels-based correspondent, Augustin Palokaj, considers it’s a shame that transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into Kosovo Armed Forces is becoming an election campaign topic as the creation of an army for a new country would have to exceed political and party interest.
While there are many uncertainties regarding the new force, NATO has only fuelled the confusion further with its neutral statements, adds Palokaj. NATO officials even said that Kosovo leaders never raised the issue of transforming the KSF into an armed force in joint meetings. NATO is not overly concerned with what the new force will be called but is rather trying to build consensus with member states on the approach to the new mechanism and to determine whether cooperation can continue.
NATO in fact has not given its support, even silently, on the creation of Kosovo Armed Forces. The problem with this is that in NATO all decisions are taken through consensus and there are certain member states which said they would not support the creation of a Kosovo army.
Be as it may, Kosovo needs to create its own army, a genuine and professional army and not merely change name and mandate of the current force. If NATO is not prepared to provide its assistance in the process, Kosovo can always rely on countries willing to offer bilateral support, suggests Palokaj.
Plans to create such an army should, therefore, take place without any connotation relating to elections or politics and should also include representatives of minority communities in Kosovo. “However, this should not be done through political bargaining because we are dealing with an issue of historic importance which goes beyond current divisions and conflicts between political forces in Kosovo,” concludes Palokaj.
