A Jordanian government official on Tuesday said the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) was not aware of any investigation involving two members of its peacekeeping forces stationed in East Timor, reported the Jordan Times.
The official described news reports about the UN starting an investigation into alleged misconduct by Jordanian troops in the Southeast Asian country as an attempt to “tarnish” the image of Jordanian peacekeepers.
He said Jordanian soldiers “have proved their efficiency as part of United Nation's peacekeeping missions everywhere.”
“We did not receive any information from our troop leaders in East Timor regarding this issue” the official told the paper.
“We do not know what exactly happened but we believe that these reports are exaggerated and aimed at undermining the image of our troops,” the official said.
According to UN officials in East Timor, an investigation was launched following allegations of sexual misconduct involving two Jordanian peacekeepers in the former Indonesian region.
UN administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that a high-level board of inquiry was established immediately after the allegations were raised, AFP said.
Vieira declined to go into details, but confirmed that the investigation had begun, involving at least two Jordanian soldiers.
Hundreds of Jordanian soldiers are serving with UN troops in East Timor to oversee the transition to civilian rule following Indonesia's withdrawal from its one-time province after violence broke out in the aftermath of East Timor's vote for independence in August 1999.
Last year, the Jordanian military launched an investigation on changes raised against three of its peacekeepers in East Timor for alleged harassment of a young female Australian cadet.
The soldiers were later sent home – Albawaba.com
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