REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Amid the unrest between the government and rebels in Central African Republic (CAR), no measure has been taken by Indonesia as the country does not have diplomatic relations with Indonesia. 

"We do not have representatives in Central African Republic, but it does not mean that we ignore the unrest," Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marty Natalegawa, said on Friday. 

The Minister said government would monitor any development in Central African Republic. "Like we did to Haiti, we will ensure that our citizens are safe," he said.

Central African Republic's neighbours have agreed to increase the number of troops stationed there to help defend against rebels threatening to overthrow the government. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) - which already has more than 500 peacekeepers in CAR - announced its decision overnight in Gabon's capital Libreville, ahead of peace talks planned between the SELEKA rebels and the government in early January.

The insurgency poses the biggest threat yet to President Francois Bozize's nearly ten years in charge of the nation, which has remained poor since independence from France in 1960 despite rich deposits of uranium, gold and diamonds.

"We are thinking of a way to deploy this mission as quickly as possible," Gabon Foreign Minister Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet told reporters after a meeting with his regional counterparts. He did not say how many soldiers would be deployed.

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