Agência Lusa

Dili, East Timor - The Brazilian government has decided to send a diplomatic mission to East Timor towards the end of this week. According to the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the trip is confirmed, but there is still no definite date for the departure of the diplomats and government representatives in such areas as education, health, justice, and defense.

In an interview with the Agência Lusa, the general undersecretary for Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East, Pedro Motta, said that the mission will stay in East Timor from June 30 to July 4. The purpose will be to comprehend the crisis that is assailing the country and reinforce the partnerships that exist between the governments of the two countries.

The crisis in East Timor began in April with conflicts involving military personnel and politicians. Around 600 members of the military were dismissed from the country's armed forces. They contend they were the target of ethnic discrimination by their superiors. Over 30 people have already been killed during the conflicts, and 145 thousand have been forced to abandon their homes.

There are around 150 Brazilians living in East Timor. Most of them work for cooperation programs in areas such as culture, health, and education.

Translation: David Silberstein