Indonesia pledges more UN troops

SENTUL. Indonesia will continue sending troops to serve under the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces worldwide and aims to deploy 4,000 soldiers in conflict regions, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday.

Yudhoyono pledged to increase Indonesian peacekeepers from the current level of 1,900 soldiers, who are mostly serving under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The president made the pledge in front of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before the latter presented his general lecture on peacekeeping operations at the Indonesian Peace and Security Center (IPSC) in Sentul, West Java.

“Our participation in the UN’s peacekeeping force has become a vital part of our foreign policy. With our long history in contributing to UN peace missions, now we have a higher goal: We wish to become one of the world’s top-10 contributing countries with up to 4,000 peacekeeping personnel,” Yudhoyono told the audience.

“But numbers alone are not enough. Today peacekeeping involves a more complex environment. From my experience, the required essentials for a capable peacekeeper to be successful include qualifications that are beyond military basics.”

In his remarks, Ban also applauded Yudhoyono’s commitment in promoting world peace by increasing participation in UN missions.

“President Yudhoyono, you are the only leader of any country in the world who has served as a UN peacekeeper. I deeply respect your experience,” Ban said.

Yudhoyono was chief military observer for the UN Peacekeeping Force in Bosnia in 1995–1996.

“As a pluralistic and tolerant democracy with a Muslim majority, Indonesia can play a very important role beyond this region. That has been demonstrated by President Yudhoyono. I respect that Indonesia continues to contribute greatly by providing almost 2,000 peacekeepers to six UN Missions,” Ban said.

Ban also asked Yudhoyono to increase Indonesia’s participation in the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan by contributing helicopters to help ease transportation difficulties in the area.

“South Sudan is roughly twice the size of Malaysia, but it has just a few kilometers of paved roads. Our peacekeepers face major logistical challenges. They urgently need transportation such as helicopters,” Ban said.

“I am constantly calling on UN Member States that have helicopters to provide them for our missions. I am also asking President Yudhoyono whether Indonesia can contribute helicopters. I hope he will respond positively,” Ban said while looking across the stage at Yudhoyono.

While the audience reacted to the statement with laughter, Yudhoyono looked serious and nodded his head.

After the general lecture, Indonesian Deputy Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters that the President had instructed the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief and the Indonesian Army Chief of Staff to prepare three transport helicopters.

“We will provide three Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters to be deployed in Congo,” he said.

“We are also offering our military non-weapons products such as canned food, shoes and uniforms.”

Indonesia is among 120 countries providing nearly 120,000 peacekeepers worldwide.

Indonesia first contributed peacekeepers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1956 and has since sent about 25,000 personnel to various conflict areas such as Bosnia, Cambodia and Somalia.

Indonesia currently has 175 peacekeepers in the DRC; 1,446 personnel in Lebanon and 167 personnel in Haiti, according to the Defense Ministry.

Ban also said he aimed to increase the number of female peacekeepers to around 20 percent, adding that currently there were seven female force commanders.

Indonesia, however, so far could only provide some 5 percent, said Indonesian Peacekeeping Center chief Brig. Gen. Imam Edy Mulyono.

Earlier in the morning, Ban and Yudhoyono had a bilateral meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace.

On Wednesday, Ban is slated to deliver a keynote address at the opening of the Jakarta International Defense Dialogue. (Bagus BT Saragih and Novan Iman Santosa/ The Jakarta Post)