TNI Preparing Team for UN Mission in Haiti

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) is preparing a team to join the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Haiti after the country was crippled by an earthquake sometime ago.

The TNI team which will constitute a task force of Konga XXXII-A/MINUSTAH become the first Garuda Contingent sent to Haiti which was hit by an earthquake that killed 316 people, injured 300 others and left one million residents homeless, said operation assistant to the TNI Commander, Maj Gen Hambali Hanafiah in Bogor, West Java, on Thursday.

"This reflects international trust to the Indonesian soldiers in UN missions," he said.

The UN mission in Haiti is sent to Haiti based on UN SC resolution No. 1908 of January 10, 2010, shortly after the earthquake crippled the infrastructure and government in Haiti. The TNI task force will consist of 167 personnel and to be led by Lt Col. Czi Winarno.