Signing over in Moleana

Pause for respect: Maj-Gen Ken Gillespie and the Australian Ambassador to Timor Ms Margaret Twomey witness the final lowering of the Australian flag at FOB Moleana. Photo by LACW Kim Eager

By Cpl Damian Shovell

THE Australian flag was lowered for the final time by Australian peacekeepers in Timor-Leste when the ADF handed over its last military base to the Timor-Leste government as a parting gift.

Australia’s UN personnel posted on Operation Spire fulfilled their last official function as they passed ownership of the once fortified Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Moleana to the Timor- Leste government on June 13, before their departure on June 24.

Amid Australian and UN officials and several hundred locals form the Moleana region, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Dr Mari Alkatiri received the facility in preparation for its new role as an agricultural college.

He thanked Australia for its leading role in both the security and development of his nation since 1999, and said the occasion served as an example of Australian’s ongoing support in Timor- Leste’s move towards self-reliance.

“Australia created the conditions for the Timorese to regain their sovereignty and assisted in the rebuilding of infrastructure, and now we are embarking to face other challenges. To rebuild the country for progress and development,” Prime Minister Alkatiri said.

He said the facility would help train people “to better manage agriculture ... to give the people the capacity to contribute to their regions”.

He also thanked the ADF for the extensive redevelopment FOB Moleana underwent before the handover, which involved the removal of hard-to-manage facilities and the streamlining of basic services to ensure it would remain as a sustainable training facility.

The gift furthered Timor-Leste and Australia’s already strong relationship as it provided a valuable facility to help tackle educational and developmental challenges faced by the new nation, he said.

“I thank the Australian government and ADF for giving us the opportunity to face these challenges with your support.”

Land Commander Maj-Gen Ken Gillespie, who represented CDF Gen Peter Cosgrove at the handover, said the transfer was at the right time in Timor- Leste’s development as it followed the end of UNMISET on May 20.

“Our days as peacekeepers in this country have come to an end and that’s a wonderful thing for this country and its future,” he said.

“It is very fitting that this facility, once the heart of Australian military security operations and more recently the base for considerable reconstruction activities, is to be dedicated to the advancement of Timor-Leste’s people and agriculture in this region.

“If we remember back to the dim, dark days of 1999-2000 and the destruction and trauma that was evident [and compare that to] the vibrant, growing, young country that we see today, clearly it’s time for this country to take control of the security processes and for us to move back into the background.”

Within 48 hours of the handover the base was a functioning agricultural college with more than 200 students and 30 teachers in residence.

Cesargo Sea Cruz, Director General of Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest, was grateful for the consultation the ADF had made with the Timor-Leste Government during the planning process.

“Students aren’t only coming from Moleana, some come from Occussi, Baucau, Suai – it’s a national agricultural college,” he said.

“We think it’s the best we have in Timor-Leste.”