Timeline

June 9, 1999

On Wednesday June 9, 1999, NATO and Yugoslav military leaders signed a pact. A time line was set out for the Serb forces to withdraw and NATO troops to move in.

Details of this process were published by CNN on June 9:

A cease-fire on the ground in Kosovo was to begin immediately.

The phased withdrawal of Yugoslav army, police and other forces with a military capability was expected to begin as early as daybreak June 10, 1999. As an initial test of compliance, the Yugoslavs were given 24 hours to "demonstrably" withdraw from the northern part of the province, closest to the Serbian border.

Within the first 24 hours of the withdrawal, the Yugoslavs must have ended all military flights over Kosovo; turned off air defense systems and radar; and stand down their surface-to-air missile systems.

Within the first 48 hours, the Yugoslavs must have turned over to NATO records showing the placement of land mines, explosive devices, unexploded ordnance and booby traps.

Within the first 72 hours, all Yugoslav anti-aircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles and aircraft must have been removed from Kosovo.

Within the first six days, Yugoslav forces must have been removed from the southern part of the province along the Albanian and Macedonian borders, allowing for the introduction of international peacekeeping troops.

The Yugoslavs were given 11 days from the signing of the agreement to complete their withdrawal. After completion of the pullout, the Yugoslavs would be allowed to bring in a small force of up to 1,000 troops to guard cultural and religious sites in the province and work on mine clearance. So far, this has not happened yet.

Once NATO was convinced that the Yugoslavs were complying with the initial steps of the agreement, airstrikes were suspended. Following the cessation of bombing, the UN Security Council approved a resolution which sets out the conditions of the peace deal (see: UN resolution1244.).

Once the Security Council resolution was approved, a peacekeeping contingent of 50,000 troops, known as KFOR, began moving into Kosovo, under the command of British Lt. Gen. Michael Jackson.

Map KFOR sections
KFOR sectors in Kosovo — it was not clear
what Russia's role would be.

US troops were assigned to patrol the eastern zone of the province; Britain, the central zone, including the capital, Pristina; France, the western zone; Italy, the northern zone; and Germany, the southern zone.

About 4,000 US troops were part of the initial "enabling" force. This included 1,900 troops from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which were moved from Greece into Macedonia, and 1,700 from an Army task force in Albania.

About 200 Army soldiers from Germany were also be part of the initial force to set up a headquarters for US forces. Eventually, the "enabling" force were replaced by a more permanent US force, including about 7,000 troops from Germany.

Once KFOR leaders were satisfied with the Yugoslav withdrawal, the bombing campaign was officially ended.