Canada and Kosovo: 25 years of ties

Last month, various officials from Kosovo—including Deputy Prime Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz—were in Canada for economic and political discussions, and to recognize the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Canada and Operation Parasol. When most Canadians think of Canada’s involvement in Kosovo, they think of the NATO bombing in 1999, designed to stop Serbian forces on a murderous rampage and drive them out of Kosovo. However, Operation Parasol was a very short and successful humanitarian effort involving the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the Canadian Red Cross, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and others. It helped settle millions of Kosovars who had fled with few possessions into neighbouring countries. In the end, about 7,000 refugees were settled in Canada. Kosovo is a landlocked region in Europe’s Balkans, surrounded by Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. It is about the size of Jamaica. Its population today is just under two million people. Tom MacGregor writes on veterans and military heritage. Handout photograph It was controlled by the Ottoman Empire from the mid-15th century until the empire fell apart following the First World War. After that, it became part of Serbia, and then Communist Yugoslavia. During that time, the mostly Serbian-speaking, Orthodox Christian population was replaced by an Albanian-speaking, Muslim population. With the breakup of the former Yugoslavia came the collapse of communism in eastern Europe in the 1990s. An Albanian-speaking revolutionary group began seeking independence. As a result, Serbian troops invaded the region, and began a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Whole villages were evacuated of men and older boys who completely disappeared. It was only after the fighting stopped that mass graves started to be found. The fighting caused about one million Albanian-speaking Kosovars to flee into the neighbouring countries. Finally, with atrocities on both sides, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mounted a bombing campaign to stop the Serbian troops and drive them back into Serbia. Canada contributed six CF-18 fighter aircraft. That was later increased to 18. This was the first combat mission the Royal Canadian Air Force had flown since the Korean War. Flying out of an airbase in Italy between March 24 and June 10, 1999, they flew 684 sorties, dropping 230,000 kilometres of gravity- and precision-aimed bombs. Canadians flew roughly 10 per cent of the NATO missions into Kosovo. This led to a ceasefire, but by then a humanitarian crisis was unfolding. Canada responded by launching Operation Parasol, which involved the CAF, the RCMP, the Canadian Red Cross, CIDA, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The CAF, which already had troops in the area to help stabilize peace in the former Yugoslavia, committed 800 troops to help. It later added an extra 500 troops. They were helping to maintain the peace, protect civilians, and provide reconnaissance assistance. They provided an armoured squadron, a tactical helicopter squadron, a field engineering squadron, an infantry battlegroup, and command and logistical support personnel. As well as their military duties, the CAF rebuilt schools and medical facilities, and installed playgrounds for children. They also built small bridges. Those refugees who were brought to Canada were at first housed on CAF bases in Ontario. Later, other bases such as Valcartier in Quebec, and Greenwood in Nova Scotia were involved. Once in Canada, the refugees were put into escort groups of between seven and 14 refugees. Each group was escorted by one CAF member and one civilian who would be responsible for each member as they moved through processing procedures. The civilian volunteers came from the Rotary and Lions clubs, and other community organizations. About one-third of the refugees eventually returned home while the rest were absorbed into Canada’s population. Operation Parasol was officially terminated on Aug. 31, 1999. Twenty-five years ago, Operation Parasol represented a quick, efficient humanitarian response to a country in crisis. It should remain a model for the many crises we face around the globe today. Tom MacGregor writes on veterans and military heritage. The Hill Times