The United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has warned pro-Indonesia militias not to confront the multinational peacekeeping force which is due to arrive in East Timor late tonight. Mr Annan said that the force is prepared to strike back if attacked. More than 2,000 troops, most of them Australian, are expected to arrive in the territory over the next few days. In total, more than 8,000 peacekeepers from more than 20 countries will take part in the UN mission in East Timor. Mr Annan’s comments follow those of Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer who said that there was a real risk of violence between the peacekeepers and pro-Indonesian militias.
The agreement to deploy the troops came following a two-hour meeting in the capital Dili this morning between the Australian commander of the multinational force, Major General Peter Cosgrove, and the Indonesian military led by Major General Kiki Syahnakri. Following the meeting, Major General Cosgrove said that any possible resistance from Indonesian miltias would be met with “a robust response.”
The East Timorese independence leader, Xanana Gusmao, has left the Indonesian capital Jakarta and arrived in Darwin, Australia following death threats. Before leaving Jakarta, Mr Gusmao said that the Indonesians would do everything they could to disrupt the peacekeeping force there. Mr Gusmao was freed from prison by the Indonesian authorities earlier this month and had been staying in the British Embassy in Jakarta. The independence leader is expected to go to East Timor within the next few days.
