Donors pledge to remain engaged in East Timor after independence
7 December -- In the wake of a two-day donor conference for East Timor, the head of the United Nations peace operation in that territory said the donor community had re-committed its support to the new country following its transition to full independence.
"What has been abundantly clear over the past two days, and for which I am immensely grateful, is that the donor community will continue to remain fully engaged in East Timor during its transition to independence and beyond in addressing many of the key outstanding needs of this new country," said Sergio Vieira de Mello, head of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).
The meeting, held in Brussels from 5-6 December, aimed to review a plan of the key benchmarks in the territory's move towards independence. It was chaired by Mr. Vieira de Mello and Jemal-ud-din Kassum, the World Bank's Vice-President for East Asia.
"The birth of East Timor is an historical exercise in which we should all feel proud to have played a part," the UNTAET chief said. "Much work remains to be done but through our collective efforts, I have every confidence that East Timor will be well positioned to assume its rightful independence in the very near future."
Mr. Vieira de Mello returns to Dili, the capital of East Timor, on 8 December.
Meanwhile in East Timor, a former militia from Esmera suspected of murder, rape and of attacks against UN peacekeepers, has been arrested and is being held in Dili's Becora Prison, UNTAET officials said today.
The militia was arrested by Australian UN soldiers on 2 December, as he was trying to cross the border from Indonesian West Timor to East Timor illegally.
Officers from UNTAET's Serious Crimes Unit are conducting further interviews with the suspect, who has confessed to complicity of murder and rape, as well as involvement in an exchange of fire between militias and UN troops on 6 March.
