REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia's foreign minister Retno Marsudi said here on Wednesday that she would communicate with her Sudanese counterpart Ibrahim Ghandour to discuss allegations of arms smuggling by Indonesian peacekeeping force. "We have already communicated with the Sudanese ambassador in Jakarta. But still, I would like to communicate with the Sudanese foreign minister," she said after attending a limited cabinet meeting led by President Joko Widodo on the issue.

Retno stated that Indonesia has seen dissonance in the case. Hence, it will soon send a legal team to Sudan to deal with it. "At this stage, I cannot make any conclusions. But based on the information that we have received, there has been dissonance that needs to be verified," she added.

Retno confirmed that she would keep communicating with the UN office in New York, the Indonesian embassy in Khartoum and the city administration of Al Fashir airport where the incident took place.

She remarked that the government hoped that the legal team could immediately reach Al Fashir airport after receiving permits from the US office and the Sudanese government. Indonesia Police chief General Tito Karnavian said the team was expected to leave on Wednesday evening to provide legal aid and to coordinate with the Sudanese government and the UN office.

He denied that Indonesian peacekeeping force Formed Police Unit/FPU III had attempted to smuggle arms and ammunition through Al Fashir airport. He said the 10 suitcases containing various kinds of guns and ammunition did not belong to the police force that had just concluded its duty in Sudan.

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