KFOR

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For other uses, see KFOR (disambiguation).

Image:KFOR-badge.jpg Image:KFOR Kosovo1.jpg Image:KFOR Kosovo2.jpg Image:KFOR.jpg Image:French Peugeot P4 dsc06852.jpg The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo.

This peace-enforcement force entered Kosovo on June 12 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

1 Background
2 Objectives
3 Structure
4 Contributing nations
5 See also
6 References and external links

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Background

Prior to the establishment of KFOR, Kosovo was facing a grave humanitarian crisis. Military and paramilitary forces from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) were fighting day and night. Ethnic tensions were at their highest and claimed the lives of many. Nearly one million people had fled Kosovo to seek refuge where their lives would not be endangered.

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Objectives

The objectives of KFOR are to establish and maintain a secure environment in Kosovo, including public safety and order; to monitor, verify and when necessary, enforce compliance with the agreements that ended the conflict; and to provide assistance to the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

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Structure

KFOR contingents are grouped into four multinational brigades. Although brigades are responsible for a specific area of operations, they all fall under a single chain of command under the authority of Commander KFOR.

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Contributing nations

At its height, KFOR troops numbered 50,000 and came from 30 different NATO / Non-NATO nations. The nations contributing the most to KFOR include the United Kingdom (19,000 troops), the United States (7,000), France (7,000), Germany (6,000), Italy (5,000), Russia (3,000?), The Netherlands (2,000), Ukraine (1,300), and Spain (1,200) [1]. As of 2004, approximately 18000 troops were stationed in Kosovo, which included the departure of Russian troops.

Other contributing NATO Nations include Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey.