Police Sends 140 Personel to Sudan

Jakarta - The Indonesian police on Thursday sent 140 personnel to Darfur to help prevent widespread armed conflict and create peace in the wake of referendum in southern Sudan. "The personnel consisting of 100 core personnel and 40 supporting personnel is a manifestation of cooperation between the United Nations and African Union," Chief of the Indonesian Police General Timur Pradopo said after seeing off the Indonesian police contingent at the Police Headquarters here. During the humanitarian mission, the police personnel would focus on safeguarding UN's assets and ensuring refugees' safety, he said. He asked members of the police contingent to remain alert because of unpredictable security conditions in Darfur. He said the armed conflict in Sudan still had the potential to escalate while many guerrillas were still wandering. Southern Sudan officially became an independent state on July 9, 2011 after the chief of the parliament read out independence proclamation in a ceremony in Juba. Southern Sudan is expected to be the 193rd country recognized by the UN next week and the 54th UN member state in Africa.