TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government is demanding safety and security guarantees for United Nations peacekeepers. This follows three incidents of attacks on Indonesian soldiers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission within the last week.
Foreign Minister Sugiono stated that the UN should review the security measures for peacekeeping forces in every region. "We also ask the UN to reevaluate the safety of the UN peacekeepers wherever they are, especially within UNIFIL," Sugiono said at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, on Saturday, April 4, 2026, as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat's video statement.
Sugiono also demanded a thorough investigation into the attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers.
He says the investigation is necessary because peacekeeping forces should not be attacked. He emphasized the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking missions.
"There must be a guarantee of safety for peacekeepers because they are maintaining peace, they are peacekeeping, not peacemaking," the Gerindra Party politician said.
Sugiono noted that, technically and by mandate, the Indonesian soldiers in UNIFIL are not equipped to engage in peacemaking efforts. All training and equipment provided to the soldiers are focused on maintaining peaceful situations.
Over the past week, three incidents of attacks involving Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers have occurred in Lebanon. On Friday evening, April 3, 2026, three TNI soldiers involved in UNIFIL were injured in an explosion at a UN facility near El Adeisse, South Lebanon. Two out of the three soldiers affected by the artillery attack sustained serious injuries.
However, the UNIFIL information center representative in Indonesia stated that the soldiers have received medical treatment at a civilian hospital and are currently in stable condition. "We do not yet know the origin of the explosion," said UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel in a statement through the UN information center team in Indonesia, on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
Kandice Ardiel said that the past week has been difficult for the peacekeepers stationed in the central part of the UNIFIL operational area. She emphasized that UNIFIL warns all parties to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, including by avoiding combat activities in the vicinity that may endanger peacekeepers.
This recent incident adds to the grief for Indonesia, which had previously lost three personnel in Lebanon. On Sunday, 29th March 2025, Chief Soldier Farizal Romadhon was killed in an unexplained artillery explosion. Three other TNI soldiers were injured, namely Chief Soldiers Rico Pramudia, Bayu Prakoso, and Arif Kurniawan.
A day later, Infantry Captain Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan were killed after the vehicle they escorted exploded in the eastern sector of South Lebanon. Two Indonesian military personnel also sustained injuries, namely First Lieutenant Infantry Sulthan Wirdean Maulana and Chief Soldier Deni Rianto.
This series of events occurred shortly after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced an escalation of ground and air attacks against Hezbollah. This escalation has impacted the UNIFIL operational area along the Lebanon-Israel border, which has long been a buffer zone for conflicts.
Novali Panji and Sultan Abdurrahman contributed to the writing of this article
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