Peacekeeping in Albania and Kosovo: Crisis Response and International Interventions in the Western Balkans 1997-2001

International interventions in conflict-ridden societies have left a trail of debacles behind. The limited military intervention and the civilian follow-up in Albania after the chaos in 1997 is a positive exception. Peacekeeping in Albania and Kosovo explores the concerted efforts to rebuild and modernize a society marked by its communist past, the failed coup attempt of 1998, and the influx of Kosovan refugees in 1999.

In Kosovo, the UN-led international rule and its efforts to rebuild a society from scratch were complicated by many restraining political, financial and administrative factors. This book describes how former political advisories agreed to work together, how a successful multi-ethnic police force was built, how a remarkable demilitarization of former guerrillas was achieved and how political factions came to accept the outcome of the first democratic elections.

Daan Everts is a Dutch diplomat. After his studies, Everts held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hague, International Labour Organisation in Bangkok, Netherlands Embassy in Washington DC and as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Capital Development Fund. He has since been head of various missions of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation.