An advance party of 15 Portuguese police officers from the UNTAET Civilian Police Rapid Response Unit arrived in Dili yesterday. The advance team is part of 120-strong Portuguese contingent of the RRU. The second contingent from Jordan will bring up the number of officers in the RRU to its full strength of 240.

The officers serving with the Rapid Response Unit will carry sidearms and short rifles. The main tasks of the RRU will include response to major security threats and other large-scale emergency situations (like plane crashes and other major accidents).

The Portuguese contingent of the RRU is expected to be deployed by 13 March, and will be stationed in Dili. The equipment including the protective gear, communication equipment and vehicles is expected to arrive in the next two days.