Ejup Maqedonci (born 9 May 1977) is a Kosovar career officer and

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and serves as the

Minister of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

since 8 August 2023. Born in Pristina, Kosovo, Maqedonci migrated to

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

in 1996. After the start of the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...

in 1998, Maqedonci went to

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

for military training and afterwards returned to Kosovo and joined the ranks of the

Kosovo Liberation Army The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA; , UÇK) was an Albanians, ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Republic of Serbia (1992–2006), Republic of R ...

. He served in the 153rd Brigade of the Llapi Operative Zone. After the end of the Kosovo War, Maqedonci joined the

Kosovo Protection Corps The Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC; , TMK) was a civilian emergency services organization in Kosovo active from 1999 until 2009. The KPC was created on 1999, through the promulgation of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo ...

, where he led the Search and Rescue Battalion until 2009. He joined the newly formed

Kosovo Security Force The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) is the military of Kosovo. The KSF is tasked with defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, military support for civilian authorities, and participation in international Peacekeeping, peacekee ...

(KSF) in 2009. From 2014 to 2019 he led the Rapid Reaction Brigade of the KSF. In 2019 he was appointed Head of the Department of Operations and Training at the General Staff of KSF. On July 10, 2023, Maqedonci retired from the KSF and was appointed Minister of Defense on August 8 of the same year. Maqedonci did his military training in Albania, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and United States. He holds a master's degree in ''Military Arts and Science'' from the

U.S. Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

, and a ''Master of Strategic Studies'' from the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...

. In the United States Army War College, Maqedonci has earned superior graduate status. Maqedonci is an honorary citizen of Leavenworth. He is married and has three daughters. He may have family roots from village Macedonci of Jablanica district, former Sanjak of Nis, from where were deported thousands of Albanian families in 1878.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maqedonci, Ejup 1977 births Living people Kosovo Albanians Kosovo Liberation Army soldiers Military personnel from Pristina Politicians from Pristina Defence ministers of Kosovo