Indonesia to Deploy Peacekeeping Soldiers to CAR

In response to the request of the United Nation (UN) Secretary General and the commitment of Indonesian Government declared at the 2015 Leader’s Summit on Peacekeeping  dated 28 September 2015 in New York the United States, as well as support of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia conveyed at a working meeting dated 21 February 2016, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on 21 August 2017 signed a Presidential Decree Number 25 of 2017 on the Establishment of Garuda Contingents Composite Battalion Task Force of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) for the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Central African Republic (CAR).

The President has also instructed Minister of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the UN in assisting the preparation, implementation, and termination of the Garuda Contingents’ duties and Minister of Defense to give administrative and financial supports to the Garuda Contingents. In addition, the President also instructed Commander of TNI to handle the preparation, deployment, and repatriation of the Contingents. “The funding for the Garuda Contingents shall be on the account of: a. Budget of the Defense Ministry in the State Budget; and b. the UN,” the fifth dictum of the Presidential Decree says.

According to the Decree, the Garuda Contingents will carry out their tasks for one year and may be extended upon request of the United Nations and decision of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia.

“The Presidential Decree shall apply as of the date of its enactment” the seventh dictum of the Presidential Decree says. (Pusdatin/ES)(RA/EP/YM/Naster)