Indonesia to send civilian police to troubled Darfur

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 08/03/2007 12:32 PM

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Manila

In a clear sign of its support of the recent UN Security Council resolution on Darfur, Indonesia said Thursday it is prepared to send 100-150 civilian police personnel to join the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in the troubled region.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Indonesia supported the UN resolution on the Darfur conflict because it was a comprehensive approach that incorporated political, humanitarian and peace mission aspects that could end the conflict, while adding that the hybrid mission would have sufficient organizational, logistical and financial support.

""We are exploring the possibilities. But we have made the necessary preparations in Indonesia to contribute to the civilian police operation. But I think it will be less than the number we sent to Lebanon. I guess it will be around 100 to 150 civilian police personnel,"" he said Thursday after the closing ceremony of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila.

Hassan said Indonesia had fought for a balanced resolution so that Sudan could accept it.

""The western-led resolution has been negotiated among African countries and Western countries as well as other UN members. Our intention is that we give regional organizations the chance to take care of the problem with the help of the United Nations,"" he said.

The UN Security Council approved on Tuesday the deployment of the 26,000-strong peacekeeping force in the Sudanese region.

The goal of the force, which will replace the beleaguered 7,000-strong African Union force on the ground no later than Dec. 31., is to try to end more than four years of fighting in Darfur, during which more than 200,000 people have died.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, was quick to offer and send around 1,000 troops to join a UN peacekeeping in Lebanon last year for a mission to enforce a cease-fire between Israel and the armed group Hizbollah, months after the two sides fought a devastating war in Lebanon.

Sudan on Wednesday endorsed a UN resolution to send 26,000 peacekeepers to Darfur, raising hopes for a force that could for the first time provide real protection to civilians in one of the world's most embattled regions.

The force will include up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers, a civilian component including up to 3,772 international police, and 19 special police units with up to 2,660 officers. The UN said the force, called UNAMID, will have ""a predominantly African character,"" as Sudan demanded. African troops already in Darfur will stay there.

Beside Indonesia, AP reported Wednesday that France and Denmark have offered to contribute to the force. Nigeria, which has about 2,000 troops already in Darfur, said it is ready to send an additional battalion of about 700 solders.

""We are waiting for the UN decision on when to send our team. But they will join the existing mission,"" Hassan said.

If fully deployed, the troops would be the United Nation's largest peacekeeping operation and, under the UN resolution passed Tuesday, would be under orders to prevent attacks against civilians.

The conflict began when ethnic African rebels launched an insurgency, complaining of discrimination by the Arab government in Khartoum. The government is accused of responding by unleashing the janjaweed, a militia blamed for widespread killings, rapes and other atrocities against ethnic African civilians. Khartoum denies the claims.

An African Union force of 7,000 troops on the ground has been too small and too poorly equipped to stop the bloodshed.

Sudan had resisted for months a push to send UN peacekeepers. But it agreed in June to a compromise deal for the African Union to deploy jointly with the UN in a ""hybrid force"" to end the violence. Acceptance of the new mission marked a major turnaround for Khartoum.

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