Rrustem Berisha
Rrustem Berisha | |
---|---|
Minister of Defense of Kosovo | |
In office 9 September 2017 – 3 February 2020 | |
President | Hashim Thaçi |
Prime Minister | Ramush Haradinaj |
Preceded by | Haki Demolli |
Succeeded by | Anton Quni |
Member of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo | |
In office 2014 – September 2017 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Rrustem Berisha 2 March 1965 Doberdol, Peć, SFR Yugoslavia (modern Peja, Kosovo) |
Nationality | Kosovar |
Political party | Alliance for the Future of Kosovo |
Children | 4 |
Occupation | Politician and military officer |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Yugoslavia Croatia Kosovo |
Branch/service | Yugoslav People's Army Croatian Army Kosovo Liberation Army Kosovo Protection Corps Kosovo Security Force |
Years of service | 1984–1991, 1991–1995, 1998–2015 |
Unit | KSF Rapid Reaction Brigade |
Battles/wars | Croatian War of Independence Kosovo War |
Rrustem Berisha (born
Early life and education
Rrustem Berisha was born in Doberdol, Peć, Yugoslavia on 2 March 1965.[1] From 1980 to 1984, Berisha attended a military high school in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.[1]
Career
After graduating from military school, Berisha served in the Yugoslav People's Army. From 1984 to 1985, Berisha served as a platoon commander in Karlovac.[1] From 1985 to 1988, Berisha attended a military school in Sarajevo to train to be an officer.[1]
From 1988 to 1991, after graduation to a Yugoslav People's Army officer, Berisha served as a company commander in Delnice, Croatia, which was then part of Yugoslavia.[1]
From 1991 to 1992, Berisha fought in the Croatian War of Independence on the side of the Croatians.[1]
From 1998 to 1999, Berisha was a member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).[1][2] In this time he fought in the Dukagjini region of Kosovo.[3]
In 1999, following the disarmament of the KLA, Berisha joined the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC).[1] From 1999 to 2002, he served as the Chief of Staff of the KPC's Second Defense Zone.[1]
From 2002 to 2009, Berisha directed the Hamëz Jashari military academy.[1]
In 2009, Berisha was named the Deputy Commander of the Rapid Reaction Brigade of the newly formed Kosovo Security Force (KSF).[1] The KSF was a relatively new entity at the time, having come into existence on 21 January 2009.[4] Berisha continued in this position until 2014.[1]
Politics
In 2013, Berisha entered politics, joining the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo. That year, he became a member of the AFK's governing council and its presidency.[1]
In 2014, Berisha ran for a seat in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and won. He became a member of the Assembly's Committee on Rights, Interests of Communities and Returns and the Committee for Economic Development.[1] He also became the Vice Chairperson of Oversight Committee for Kosovo Intelligence Agency.[1]
In February 2016, a Serbian court convicted Berisha and seven other former KLA soldiers
Berisha was reelected to the Assembly in the 2017 elections in Kosovo.[1]
On 9 September 2017, Berisha was appointed the Minister of the Kosovo Security Force.[1] He replaced Haki Demolli.[5]
As minister for the security force, Berisha worked towards closer cooperation between the Albanian Armed Forces and the Kosovo Security Force.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Rrustem Berisha - Minister of the Ministry for the Kosovo Security Force". Ministry for the Kosovo Security Forces. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ a b c Nikolic, Ivana (17 February 2016). "Kosovo Ex-Guerrillas Convicted of Yugoslav Army Killings". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- LCCN 2007046798.
- ^ "Kosovo's security force launched". BBC. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "COMKFOR met the new Minister of KSF". European Western Balkans. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- ^ "Kosovo and Albania – Cooperation in the field of defence". NATO Kosovo Force. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2018.