"As the president has mandated, in the course of the next two years we aim to send 4,000 personnel," said commander of the peacekeeping mission center, Brigadier General Imam Edy Mulyono, in Denpasar on Thursday.
Mulyono announced the news during the interactive dialogue entitled "Peace in Africa : The way to increase Indonesia`s bilateral relationship with African countries " held at Udayana university.
Mulyono added that his department is prepared for sending troops abroad.
"Say that in this year alone they ask for 1,000 people, then we will give them 1,000 people," he said.
Until now, Mulyono revealed, the largest concentration of Indonesian peacekeeping troops are in Lebanon, as well as a company stationed in the Congo and Haiti. When added up, there are approximately 1,400 troops in Lebanon.
"A regular rotation of troops normally occurs in October or November. Even so, if there is a request outside of those months, then we will, of course, be ready," he said at the seminar held in conjunction with the faculty of social and political sciences of Udayana University, Africa`s directorate, Asia Pacific and Africa`s directorate-general, as well as Indonesia`s ministry of foreign affairs.
Currently, he added, his section is undergoing training to form one standby force battalion.
"Over the years we have not experienced any difficulties because we had already selected and prepared our troops so that they are ready to be commissioned," he said.
His section is also coordinating several stakeholders, within or outside the country, so that they can reach their target of 4,000 troops deployed overseas.
"We have also been following training held in other countries and currently trying to find opportunities with a representative situated in New York, so if there are any changes to the policy that benefits the politics overseas, we will be ready" he stated.
What has been prepared by the peacekeeping troops, he said, has not only been a mechanical battalion army, but also a company to construct main roads, bridges as well as a medical company. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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