RI mourns death of Mello, urges UN to continue mission

RI mourns death of Mello, urges UN to continue mission

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia strongly condemned the attack on the United Nations
(UN) headquarters in Baghdad, in which 20 people were killed,
including special representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, with
whom Jakarta once shared close ties.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Jakarta said the attack
should not deter the UN from its central role in post-war Iraq.

"The government of Indonesia condemns in the strongest
possible manner the shocking and dastardly terrorist bomb attacks
against the United Nations compound in Baghdad," the foreign
ministry statement said.

"As a country which has also fallen victim to acts of terror,
Indonesia recognizes the importance of not succumbing to the
dictates of terror," it read.

Jakarta also suggested that the coalition administration in
Iraq guarantee the safety of all UN officials in Iraq.

The UN headquarters in Baghdad was attacked by a car bomb on
Tuesday, the same day that the United States claimed to have
arrested former Iraqi vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan.

The blast, believed to be a suicide bomb, added to the series
of attacks in Iraq that ensued after the U.S. ended the regime of
Saddam Hussein four-and-a-half months ago.

However, this is the first time the UN was targeted.

Indonesia also expressed its deepest condolences on the death
of de Mello, a Brazilian diplomat who once served with the UN
transitional administration in Indonesia's former province of
East Timor (UNTAET) between 1999 and 2002.

He was appointed the UN Human Rights High Commission chief in
September last year, but left his post for Iraq in May.

"We deeply mourn his death, and we express our deepest
condolences to the UN Secretary-General and the families of all
the victims," the statement said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said that he
remembered de Mello as an excellent international civil servant,
who had contributed good deeds around the world.

Speaking from Canberra during a telephone interview for
bilateral and tripartite meetings with East Timor, Hassan said he
recalled de Mello as a good friend, as they had known each other
since 1989.

"He is an excellent officer and was to become one of the
candidates for the post of UN secretary-general," Hassan told
Kompas and The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"Our personal relationship created a better understanding
between both sides in settling the separation issues and
establishing a strong foundation for cordial relations between
Indonesia and East Timor," Hassan said.

The Brazilian Embassy in Jakarta flew its national flag at
half-mast on Wednesday to pay homage to de Mello.