Sudan asks for additional peacekeeping forces from Indonesia

"Sudan wants Indonesia to play more roles in peacekeeping efforts in Darfur," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the closing of the 11th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

The president was explaining the results of his meeting with Sudanese President Omer Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir. He said at present the Indonesian government was preparing 140 police personnel to be assigned in Darfur.

"But Sudan has asked for 140 more personnel," the president added.

He said that the Indonesian government was happy to play its roles in a peacekeeping effort as long as its forces were under the United Nations peacekeeping force.

The president also said that Indonesia fully believed that the Sudanese government was able to resolve the outbreak of conflicts in Darfur.

Indonesia hoped that the overall solutions taken to create peace would really bring betterment to the Sudanese people.

Palestine

On the occasion, President Yudhoyono also held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the protracted humanitarian conflicts in that country.

The head of state said that Indonesia was encouraging Palestine to resolve its internal conflict.

"Indonesia hopes that Palestine will soon realize its ideals as a sovereign country which lives in peaceful co-existence with other nations in the world," he said.

Over the past several years, Indonesia has been active in voicing the need for the world to push ahead with the creation of the Palestinian independence.

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