Xhemal Gjunkshi (born 30 January 1963) is a former
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
n military officer. Since 2017 he started his career as politician and began
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for
Dibër. From August 2011 to November 2013, he served as
Chief of General Staff of the
Albanian Armed Forces
The Albanian Armed Forces ( sq, Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH)) are the military of Albania and were formed after the declaration of independence in 1912. Today, it consists of the General Staff, the Albanian Land ...
. He was elected as deputy of
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
in
June 2017 general election.
Early life
Gjunkshi was born in
Peshkopi
Peshkopi ( sq-definite, Peshkopia, Latin: ''Penestae'') is a town in Dibër County, northeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Dibër. The population at the 2011 census was 13,251. ,
Dibër,
People's Republic of Albania
The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...
on 30 January 1963. He began his military studies at the “Skenderbej” Military High School in 1978, two years after the transition of Albania from the "People's Republic" to the "People's Socialist Republic." Gjunkshi graduated from the school in 1985.
Military career
Gjunkshi began his military career commanding at a
platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
and later
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
level. Gjunkshi was promoted to captain in 1992 and major in 1993. He was later appointed
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
commander in Peshkopi. In 1998, Gjunkshi graduated from a
military academy in Turkey.
From 1998 to 2004, Gjunkshi served in multiple varying roles in the General Staff and the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
. In 1999, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. From 2004 to 2007, he served as Albania's military attaché to Turkey. In 2005, he was promoted to colonel. In 2007, Gjunkshi was appointed commander of the Commando Regiment, an elite unit of the Albanian Armed Forces.
In October 2008, a group of soldiers in the Commando Regiment sent a letter to the government of Albania and the
United States Embassy in Tirana reporting corruption within the regiment. The letter alleged that Gjunkshi demanded bribes in exchange for assignments to serve in the
International Security Assistance Force
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, comman ...
or
Multi-National Force – Iraq
The Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I), often referred to as the Coalition forces, was a military command during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and much of the ensuing Iraq War, led by the United States of America ( Operation Iraqi Freedom), Unit ...
. The alleged bribe values equalled half of the additional pay soldiers would receive as part of their assignments.
In 2009, Gjunkshi was appointed commander of the Support Command and later promoted to brigadier general. In December 2009, commander of the Logistic Brigade.
On 8 August 2011, by decree of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
, Gjunkshi was appointed
Chief of the Albanian General Staff
The Chief of the General Staff ( al, Shef i Shtabit të Përgjithshëm) is the chief of the General Staff and Albanian Armed Forces. The chief of staff is appointed by the President of Albania, who is the commander-in-chief. The position was esta ...
. On 10 November 2011, Gjunkshi was promoted to major general by Presidential Decree No. 7156.
On 7 November 2013, Gjunkshi was released from his position by Presidential Decree No. 8370.
Personal life
During his career, Gjunkshi has received numerous awards and decorations. In 2008, Gjunkshi was named an “Ambassador for Peace” by the
Universal Peace Federation
The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists, or "Moonies". It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Spi ...
. In November 2012, Gjunkshi was awarded the International Prize for Peace“Bonifacio VIII” by the Academy Bonificiana, in the town of Anagni, Italy.
He is married and has a son and a daughter.
Timeline of Ranks
See also
*
Albanian Army
The Albanian Land Force ( sq, Forca Tokësore të Republikës së Shqipërisë) is the land force branch of the Albanian Armed Forces.
Mission
The Albanian Land Force's main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territoria ...
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gjunkshi, Xhemal
Albanian generals
20th-century Albanian military personnel
21st-century Albanian military personnel
1963 births
Living people
People from Peshkopi