NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 16 — In the wake of the rising terrorism threats across the globe, the Indonesian Ambassador to Kenya Mohamad Saripudin is calling for broader cooperation between the two countries in the counter terrorism campaign.
While lauding Kenya’s efforts to foster regional peace, Ambassador Saripudin told Capital News Wednesday that both countries are actively engaged in maintaining international order, highlighting the need for greater collaboration to guarantee a safer world.
“Indonesian government really appreciates the instrumental role played by Kenya not only at the regional level but also at the international level, especially on the issue of counter terrorism. We (Indonesia) follow closely the role played by Kenya in maintaining peace and stability in the region,” he said.
The Indonesian envoy stated that the East Asian Nation together with the international big actors, they have in place centre for training to enhance and increase the capacity of law enforcement and counter terrorism officers.
While singling out the ongoing conflict in DRC between the government forces and the M23 rebels, Ambassador Saripudin noted that both countries have common interests as far as international peace is concerned.
“We are very much active as troop contributing countries in UN-led peace keeping operation. In DRC we have more than 1000 personnel serving under the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The Indonesian contingent was deployed in Goma and Kivu,” he said.
His call comes at a time when Kenyan troops are currently deployed in Somalia as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) contributing forces in the fight against Al-Qaeda linked terrorist outfit, Al-Shabaab.
Both countries have been victims of terrorism including the 2002 Bali bombings and the Shabaab attacks in Westgate Mall, Dusit D2 Complex and the Garissa University.
Four days ago, Kenyan soldiers landed in the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, as part of a regional military operation targeting rebels in the conflict-torn region.
Their arrival came as the M23 militia has surged across the DRC’s North Kivu province, capturing swathes of territory and inflaming tensions in central Africa.
This week, Kenya’s parliament approved the deployment of just over 900 troops to the DRC as part of a joint military force from the East African Community (EAC).
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