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The capitulation of the former Yugoslav Republic of Yugoslavia took place with the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement. Prior to the signing and adoption of UN Resolution 1244 on Kosovo, thousands of NATO troops were stationed in two countries, Albania and Macedonia.
The Kaçanik-Prishtina road looked like something out of the apocalypse
The first troops to enter Kosovo were British troops who first came to Kaçanik and continued to cross the highway to Pristina.
One of the first soldiers to enter Kosovo was James Paul Watson. On the 23rd anniversary of the entry of NATO ground troops in Kosovo, he recounted the journey from Kaçanik to Prishtina. According to him everything he saw on that journey was out of an apocalypse.
“My time in Kosovo changed my life completely because of the testimony of the horrors of war, especially the modern genocide that took place. This thing follows me even today, because this was not the year 1943 and Nazi Europe, but of modern times “, he said for RTKlive.
He has indicated that he has recently written a book highlighting his experiences in Kosovo, as it is almost forgotten because of the horrific war crimes that took place there.
“The Battle Group of the Irish Kingdom Guard were the first soldiers to arrive in Pristina and from Kaçanik to the capital, the environment was scary. Almost like something out of the apocalypse. Burned cars and bullet holes in all buildings, but did not look civilian, as if hidden. “It was a ghost town, but we all knew that something terrible had happened there. I could just feel death,” he said.
Let us not forget what happened in 1999
According to him, before we settled in Kosovo, most of the soldiers had never heard of the region. “We were aware of the ongoing issues in Bosnia, but not so much in Kosovo. “We have to remember what happened in 1999 and learn from it to make sure it never happens again.”
Adding that the people of Kosovo were the most polite and humble people on the planet. “Even when they had nothing and despite the difficulties they had gone through, they were still kind and hospitable to us,” he said.
He has planned to visit Kosovo on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of NATO entry into Kosovo.
“I hope to return to Kosovo in 2024 with my family to mark the 25th anniversary of the conflict,” said Watson.
“My time in Kosovo has left me with consequences from the genocide that I personally have witnessed. However, I can only imagine the lasting effects on those civilians who actually lived through the atrocities that took place. The character and strength of the people of Kosovo and what they endured for their freedom is not at all inspiring. “As a qualified military historian, I believed it was important to document the events of the summer of 1999 in great detail to learn from them, and I hope to prevent this from happening again,” he said.
Otherwise, one of the first soldiers to enter Kosovo was James Paul Watson, now he is an Advisor to the Wigan Council./RTK
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