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RI awaits go-ahead to send peacekeepers to Syria, Gaza Strip
The Foreign Ministryâs Director- General for Multilateral Affairs Hasan Kleib revealed on Saturday that the U
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he Foreign Ministry's Director- General for Multilateral Affairs Hasan Kleib revealed on Saturday that the U.N. Security Council had yet to permit Indonesia to send peacekeeping forces to Syria and the Gaza Strip.
He said the Indonesian Military (TNI) had been ready to send some battalions of peacekeepers to Syria and the strip.
'We have to get approval not only from the U.N., but also from the countries in question,' he said in Nusa Dua, Bali, as quoted by tempo.co.
He explained that Indonesia had yet to receive permission from Syria's government, and so was unable to send troops.
He further explained that the Israeli government had yet to allow Indonesia to send troops to the Gaza Strip, despite Indonesia having already been given permission by the Palestinian government.
'In case of war in the Gaza Strip, Indonesia has to have permission from both Israel and Palestine,' Hasan said.
Indonesia first sent peacekeepers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1957 under the aegis of the Garuda Contingent, which has since been the official designation for TNI troops assigned to peacekeeping missions.
Since then, Indonesia has sent 24,284 troops to several conflict zones, including Cambodia, the Middle East, Lebanon and Bosnia.
Indonesia currently has 175 peacekeepers stationed in the Congo, 1,446 in Lebanon and 167 in Haiti, according to the Defense Ministry.
The nation is among the top 15 contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping operations. (alz)
