UN takes over command of peacekeeping forces in East Timor.

1 February - The International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) today began handing over the command of its peacekeeping operation to the United Nations.

During a ceremony in the Eastern town of Baucau, the peacekeepers from "Sector East" replaced their INTERFET hats with UN blue berets, while their commander, Major-General Peter Cosgrove, formally passed authority for the troops to General Jaime de los Santos, commander of the new UN peacekeeping operation.

"I give them to him with pride. I do so with nostalgia and great honor," General Cosgrove said."

According to a UN spokesman, today's "re-hatting" affected roughly 2,100 troops, including battalions from Thailand, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. The overall handover will transfer more than 5,500 troops from INTERFET to the UN by the end of this month. Once additional soldiers arrive to reinforce the former INTERFET troops, the total projected strength of the UN force will be 8,300.

In other news from the island, a Japanese airlift of UN relief supplies from Java, Indonesia, to East Timorese refugees in West Timor ended today, having transported more than 400 tonnes of relief supplies since 29 November.

The airlift was part of a Japanese response to a UN appeal for help in providing relief to East Timor. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has expressed its appreciation for the airlift, which proved to be a valuable contribution to its emergency activities for the refugees in West Timor.