egov ina ▁fighting ▁in ▁western ▁Bos nia ▁against ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁Ser b ▁Republic ▁in ▁Operation ▁Ma est ral . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁Army ▁was ▁reform ed ▁and ▁President ▁Fran jo ▁Tu đ man ▁named ▁ Ç ek u ▁command ing ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁Fif th ▁District ▁Region ▁in ▁R ije ka . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁he ▁file d ▁a ▁request ▁for ▁ret irement ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁Kos ovo ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁eth nic ▁Alban ian ▁Kos ovo ▁Liber ation ▁Army ▁( K LA ) ▁that ▁fought ▁Ser bian ▁rule , ▁which ▁was ▁officially ▁ful filled ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁with ▁his ▁res ignation . ▁ ▁Kos ovo ▁War ▁ Ç ek u ▁had ▁developed ▁contacts ▁with ▁the ▁K LA ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s . ▁When ▁war ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁Kos ovo , ▁the ▁K LA ▁initially ▁did ▁very ▁badly ▁against ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁forces , ▁due ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁poor ▁leadership ▁under ▁senior ▁commander ▁S yle j man ▁Sel imi , ▁a ▁militar ily ▁in ex per ien ced ▁individual ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁the ▁post ▁largely ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁influence ▁in ▁the ▁D ren ica ▁region ▁( the ▁K LA ' s ▁heart land ). ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁ Ç ek u ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁K LA ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁staff , ▁replacing ▁Sel imi . ▁He ▁immediately ▁set ▁about ▁re organ ising ▁the