"With our mission we have brought normality to this country but Kosovo remains a powder keg. If we were to leave, I am sure that war would break out again. The existing peace is in fact only apparent. A generational change will be necessary before the parties involved can forget what happened during the conflict". Thus Lieutenant Colonel Gianfranco Paglia, advisor to the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, addressing the troops engaged in Kosovo, on the occasion of the institutional visit to 'Villaggio Italia', headquarters of the Regional Command West (RC-W – Regional Command - West) near the city of Pec/Peja. A two-day event, organized at a time that is certainly not easy in light of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the echo of which inevitably makes its weight felt also in the Balkans.
Listening to the lieutenant colonel, medal of military valor, in a packed room of the "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso", inside the base, are the soldiers of the 62nd infantry regiment "Sicilia" of the Aosta brigade and the carabinieri of the MSU (Multinational Specialized Unit). Among them are also many very young men and women, grappling with their first experience in an operational theater.
"I am a soldier like you, who tries to do his duty to the end. – he said in his speech – when I look at you, I see motivated and well-trained guys who believe in what they do. It is proof that the Defense does not send people abroad who are not ready. You are a source of pride for Italy and everyone must know what you do here". Then the warning: "You have to consider training as life insurance because it is what can really make the difference in case of danger". And in reference to what is happening in Lebanon and the attacks by the Israeli army on the Unifil bases, Paglia ruled: "If Italy had been in command of the UN mission at this stage, these episodes would not have occurred. We cannot allow the Israelis to do what they want".
At his side was Colonel Rocco Mundo, commander of Regional Command West, who confirmed how the situation in Kosovo is currently fragile and therefore only apparently stable: "We Italians have managed to gain the trust of the local populations - explains - because we ensure impartiality and we are close to all communities. This method allows us to maintain stability in the area of our responsibility". Under his command there are also soldiers from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Poland, Turkey, Austria, Moldova, Switzerland. They carry out control and patrol activities of the territory to guarantee freedom of movement throughout the Regional Command West but also a series of projects and initiatives aimed at increasing the relationship of trust between the military and local institutions, mayors and schools first and foremost. Paglia's institutional visit to the Italian contingent coincided with the installation of General Enrico Barduani as head of KFOR, the NATO Force in Kosovo, who replaced his Turkish counterpart Ozkan Ulutas. On 11 October the handover took place during an official ceremony held in Camp Film City, the KFOR headquarters in Pristina, in the presence of the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto.
Barduani is the 14th Italian general in command of the NATO mission and the 29th head of KFOR. The NATO force, which has been in Kosovo since the end of the conflict in 1999, acts as a third security operator in coordination with the Kosovo police and with Eulex, the EU mission on the rule of law. Currently, the KFOR mission is made up of over 4.600 soldiers from 29 countries, with the Italian contingent being the largest. And while the Italian government is wondering whether and how to change the rules of engagement for the peacekeepers In Lebanon, the military deployed in the Balkans are analyzing the signals that could lead to a possible deterioration of the situation in the coming months.
The parliamentary elections in February are being watched with attention, but also the effects and repercussions on the Kosovar territory of the US elections. The fact that there is concern is also demonstrated by NATO's decision to increase the strength of KFOR with a thousand more soldiers.
Photo: author
