November 14, 2001
U.N. peacekeepers began scaling down their operation in East Timor with a ceremony Wednesday to honor departing Kenyan troops. The contingent of 264 Kenyan soldiers in the central town of Gleno received U.N. medals before handing over their duties to Portuguese peacekeepers. The soldiers are pulling out after a two-year tour of duty in the mountainous region, 18 miles south of the capital Dili.
"This is indicative of the great (improvement) in the security situation in East Timor," said Lt. Gen. Winai Phattiyakul, the force commander. The United Nations plans to reduce its forces in East Timor from their current level of 8,000 to about 5,000 over the next six months.
East Timor, which voted for independence from Indonesia in a 1999 referendum, is scheduled to become fully independent in May 2002. Despite the cutback, the United Nations has said it plans to maintain peacekeepers for several more years to ensure security.
An Australian-led international force first arrived in East Timor in September 1999, after Indonesian troops and their East Timorese militia laid waste to the country, following the referendum.
Peacekeepers have been responsible for securing the border with Indonesia from where pro-Jakarta militiamen attempted to launch a number of incursions.
Last year, a New Zealand and Nepalese peacekeeper were killed in skirmishes with the paramilitaries. However, the past year has seen little activity on the border.
Over the next few months, troops will be withdrawn from other sectors of the country. As they withdraw, responsibility for security will gradually be transferred to East Timor's nascent defense force which is expected to be fully operation by 2004.
More Information on Peacekeeping
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C íŸ 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
