East Timor's Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta on Wednesday stood firmly behind his defence force chief, a day after a UN report recommended he be held accountable for arming civilians.
The report was tasked with investigating violence that spiralled out of control in Dili in April and May, and with naming those who should be held accountable for crimes committed over the period.
It found that the former ministers of interior and defence, Rogerio Lobato and Roque Rodrigues -- who were sacked in the midst of the crisis -- along with defence force chief Taur Matan Ruak had armed civilians.
"They should be held accountable for illegal transfers of weapons," it said.
Ramos-Horta said he spoken with Ruak and "I am reiterating my full confidence in him and in his leadership. Throughout the crisis, the senior command of F-FDTL (the defence force) showed zeal and discipline.
"It was known to all that the leadership of F-FDTL were not engaged in any cover-up of allegations that weapons were distributed by F-FDTL leadership to former combatants," he said in a statement.
"When the leadership of F-FDTL received orders to disarm all the former combatants who had received weapons, they did so promptly," he added.
Ramos-Horta, who replaced former premier Mari Alkatiri when he stepped down in June as political tensions escalated, said Ruak had "expressed his acceptance of the report, which he regards as very fair and balanced".
The report found that Alkatiri himself had failed to prevent weapons falling into the hands of civilians and should be criminally investigated.
Those named in the UN report are now expected to face investigation and possible prosecution by East Timor's own judicial system.