RI considering sending peace-keeping force to Darfur

Indonesia is considering sending a peace-keeping force to Darfur in Sudan to help maintain security in the region which has been blghted by violence over the past four years, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said here.

"Indonesia is considereing sending a peace-keeping force to Darfur," Wirayuda said at the closing of the 40th Asean Ministerial Meeting (AMM) Thursday.

The Indonesian foreign minister said his country would send around 100 to 150 civilian police to the region.

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution to deploy 26,000 soldiers and police in Darfur to protect local civiliand and stop the violence in the vast and arid western part of Sudan.

Joint UN and African Union peacekeeping operations in the area would cost more that US$2 billion in the first year.

The operations would aim to halt the violence in Darfur where more than 2.1 million people have been forced to leave their homes s and around 200,000 others have died over the past four years.

UN Secretary General Ki-moon said it was an "historic resolution" and asked UN member countries to send soldiers to the region.(*)