TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has stated that Indonesian National Armed Forces troops serving in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are currently stationed in a war zone. Yudhoyono stated that peacekeeping forces should be stationed in the 'blue line' area, which is the border area that separates Israeli and Lebanese territories.
According to the sixth president, the area in Lebanon where the Indonesian soldiers are stationed was originally a blue zone and not a war zone.
"Currently, the fact is that they were initially around the 'blue line' but are now in a 'war zone', where daily battles are raging between Israel and Hezbollah. It is even reported that Israeli forces have advanced 7 kilometers from the 'blue line'," Yudhoyono said through his account X, @SBYudhoyono, on Sunday, April 5, 2026.
Yudhoyono said that the situation is very dangerous for peacekeeping forces, including the Indonesian soldiers. Because at any moment, they could become victims of the ongoing battles.
He explained that the task of the UN peacekeeping unit, such as the Garuda XXIII/S Contingent, is to maintain peace, not to create peace. Peacekeeping forces are not heavily armed and are not mandated to carry out combat duties.
Yudhoyono mentioned that this is regulated in Chapter 6 of the UN Charter. Based on this regulation, Yudhoyono continued, peacekeepers are tasked with maintaining peace in the blue zone, not becoming peacemakers in a war zone.
"With this argument, the UN in New York should immediately make a firm decision and take steps to stop UNIFIL's assignment or move their location out of the still smoldering battlefield," Yudhoyono said.
In the social media post, Yudhoyono also expressed his condolences for the fallen soldiers Chief Private Farizal Rhomadhon, Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, and Muhammad Nur Ichwan, the three Indonesian soldiers serving as peacekeeping forces in Lebanon.
Yudhoyono recounted that his heart was deeply moved when he witnessed the families of the soldiers grieving. Yudhoyono also accompanied President Prabowo Subianto in giving the final respects to the three bodies, which took place at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
SBY said he could feel the deep grief of the families left behind. "I know the meaning of tears falling on their cheeks," Yudhoyono said. Therefore, he supports the government's demand for the UN to conduct an investigation.
He believes that the UN, especially UNIFIL, should be able to explain why a number of consecutive incidents resulting in casualties and injuries occurred.
Yudhoyono understands that conducting an investigation in a dynamic combat situation like this is not easy.
"But, in any case, it should still be carried out in the hope that the results are acceptable and believable," Yudhoyono said.
Dede Leni Mardianti contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Former President SBY Urges UN to Halt UNIFIL Deployment in Lebanon
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