German General Takes Over NATO's Kosovo Mission
Breaking News, Conflict-Security, Europe, Germany 12:23 AM
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| Maj. Gen. Erhard Drews, flanked by Kosovo's President Atifete Jahjaga, attend a KFOR change of command ceremony Sept. 9 in Pristina. (Armend Nimani / AFP) |
German Gen. Erhard Drews on Sept. 9 took over the command over the NATO-led mission in Kosovo (KFOR), as the tense Serb-majority north remained the main challenge for the peacekeeping force.
Drews replaced fellow countryman Gen. Erhard Buhler at a ceremony in the KFOR headquarters in Pristina.
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KFOR should continue to be "a preventing force for all those extremists who by violence want to achieve political goals," Kosovo president Atifete Jahjaga said at the ceremony.
The handover came a day after a top NATO official warned that the situation in Kosovo's tense north remained the main challenge for the Alliance troops on the ground.
Tensions have been running high in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo since a trade row in July spilled over into violence at two flashpoint border posts with Serbia, when Pristina forcibly replaced ethnic Serb border guards attached to the Kosovo police with ethnic Albanian officers to enforce the trade ban with Serbia.
An ethnic Albanian police officer was killed and four injured in clashes that ensued as angry Kosovo Serbs reacted, forcing KFOR to step in.
NATO peacekeepers have maintained security in Kosovo since the end of 1998-1999 war between Belgrade-backed forces and ethnic Albanian pro-independence guerrillas.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 and has since been recognized by more then 80 countries. However, Serbia still considers it to be its southern province.
Drews replaced fellow countryman Gen. Erhard Buhler at a ceremony in the KFOR headquarters in Pristina.
Related Topics
KFOR should continue to be "a preventing force for all those extremists who by violence want to achieve political goals," Kosovo president Atifete Jahjaga said at the ceremony.
The handover came a day after a top NATO official warned that the situation in Kosovo's tense north remained the main challenge for the Alliance troops on the ground.
Tensions have been running high in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo since a trade row in July spilled over into violence at two flashpoint border posts with Serbia, when Pristina forcibly replaced ethnic Serb border guards attached to the Kosovo police with ethnic Albanian officers to enforce the trade ban with Serbia.
An ethnic Albanian police officer was killed and four injured in clashes that ensued as angry Kosovo Serbs reacted, forcing KFOR to step in.
NATO peacekeepers have maintained security in Kosovo since the end of 1998-1999 war between Belgrade-backed forces and ethnic Albanian pro-independence guerrillas.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 and has since been recognized by more then 80 countries. However, Serbia still considers it to be its southern province.
Source: Defense News
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