THE NECESSITY AND EFFICIENCY OF NATO-LED INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN KOSOVO AFTER 1999

On June 11th, 1999, NATO initiated the Kosovo Force (KFOR), a peacekeeping mission, in Kosovo, immediately following the ratification of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. At that juncture, the Yugoslav military forces were deeply embroiled in hostilities with the Kosovo Liberation Army, thereby precipitating a dire humanitarian crisis within Kosovo. The exodus of nearly a million individuals from Kosovo as refugees, a significant proportion of whom never returned to their homes, underscored the gravity of the situation. Subsequently, KFOR's mission centered on the establishment of a secure environment and the facilitation of unimpeded freedom of movement for all inhabitants across the entire expanse of Kosovo, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. This paper seeks to delineate whether the sustained presence of a permanent peacekeeping force within the region was a requisite imperative and whether it has engendered any salutary impacts on the broader spectrum of human security.