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Indonesia to send 140 personnel for peacekeeping mission in Sudan
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African Union (AU) peacekeepers evacuate their base in Haskanita, Sudan, on Sept. 30, 2007 after rebel forces killed at least 10 AU personnel in a surprise attack. (AP/Alfred de Montesquiou)
T
he National Police are set to deploy a task force consisting of 140 personnel to Darfur, Sudan, as part of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission.
The task force, which will replace a previous team that has been on mission in Darfur for one year, will depart from Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in East Jakarta on Friday.
“The presence of the 140 personnel is expected to help establish and sustain peace in Sudan after the protracted conflict [the country has experienced],” National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said in a departure ceremony at the National Police headquarters on Thursday morning, as quoted by kompas.com.
Armed conflict in Darfur has put civilians at risk. The conflict has claimed between 200,000 and 300,000 civilian lives and displaced more than 2 million people since the start of the conflict in 2004, according to UN data
According to the UN, the peacekeeping mission in the war-torn nation comprises 19,248 combined police and military personnel from various countries, including Indonesia.
Tito said the personnel, who have passed a stringent selection process and undergone special training, will be tasked with protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian aid, and protecting UN facilities in Darfur.
Indonesia first participated in peacekeeping in Darfur in 2008, in which it agreed to send 140 personnel for a one-year mission as mandated by the UN. (Saf)
