General who brought East Timor peace returns 20 years later

The Australian army general who led an international peacekeeping mission that ended a bloody rampage following East Timor’s vote for independence has returned to the national capital Dili to mark the 20th anniversary of his arrival.

Peter Cosgrove had just been appointed the commander of 10,000 troops that comprised the International Force in East Timor when he first arrived in the razed city on Sept. 19, 1999. He returned on Thursday.

Pro-Indonesian militias had run riot since the East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia at a ballot on Aug. 30, 1999.

The 72-year-old retired as Australia‘s governor general in July.

Along with East Timor officials, he is commemorating the Australia-led military mission that brought peace.