Indonesia to send more peacekeepers to Lebanon, Sudan

As part of its efforts to help maintain peace in the world, Indonesia has decided to send more security personnel to join the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon and Sudan.

The Indonesian government made the decision when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held bilateral talks Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and Sudanese President Omer Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir during the 11th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Dakar, Senegal, on March 13-14, 2008.

Indonesia will send at least 90 military police personnel to Lebanon and 140 civilian police to Sudan to help maintain peace in Darfur.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his government would send 90 military police personnel to Lebanon in addition to the 850 infantry troopers already assigned there to maintain peace in that country.

In November 2007, the Indonesian government sent the Garuda XXIII-B military contingent there as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

The 850-strong contingent led by Lt Col Djoko Sudiono consists of joint military personnel from the three services in the TNI, the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The Indonesian contingent consists of 528 personnel from the Army, 242 personnel from the Navy, 60 personnel from the Air Force, 16 personnel from TNI Headquarters, one from the Defense Ministry and three from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Konga XXIII-B replaced Konga XXIII-A that had been assigned in Lebanon to help maintain peace for one year.

The president made the statement in a press conference on the results of his meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on the sidelines of the OIC summit.

"I have agreed to meet the United Nations request to send 90 military police in addition to the 850 infantry personnel already assigned there," President Yudhoyono said.