Government Urges UN to Evaluate Safety of Peacekeepers
The Indonesian government is demanding security and safety guarantees for United Nations peacekeepers. This follows three attack incidents in the past week targeting Indonesian soldiers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission.
Foreign Minister Sugiono stated that the UN needs to review security aspects for peacekeeping forces deployed anywhere. “We also request that the UN re-evaluate the safety of UN peacekeepers wherever they are, especially in UNIFIL,” Sugiono said at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang on Saturday, 4 April 2026, as quoted from a video statement by the Presidential Secretariat.
Sugiono also demanded a thorough investigation into the attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers.
According to him, an investigation is necessary because peacekeeping forces should not be targeted. He emphasised the difference between peacekeeping missions and peacemaking missions.
“There must be a security guarantee for the peacekeeping soldiers because they are maintaining peace, they are peacekeeping not peacemaking,” said this Gerindra Party politician.
Sugiono explained that, technically and in terms of mandate, TNI soldiers in UNIFIL are not equipped for peacemaking efforts. All training and equipment provided to the soldiers focus on maintaining peaceful situations.
In the past week, three attack incidents involving TNI soldiers in Lebanon have occurred. On Friday evening, 3 April 2026, three TNI soldiers in UNIFIL were injured by an explosion at a UN facility near El Adeisse in southern Lebanon. Two of the three TNI soldiers hit by the artillery attack suffered serious injuries.
However, the UN information centre representative in Indonesia stated that the soldiers have received medical treatment at a civilian hospital and are now stable. “We do not yet know the origin of the explosion,” said UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel in her statement via the UN information centre team in Indonesia on Saturday, 4 April 2026.
Kandice Ardiel said the past week has been a difficult time for peacekeepers serving in the central sector of UNIFIL’s area of operations. She stated that UNIFIL warns all parties to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers. “Including by avoiding combat activities nearby that could endanger peacekeepers,” she said.
This latest incident adds to the grief for Indonesia, which previously lost three personnel in Lebanon. On Sunday, 29 March 2025, Chief Soldier Farizal Romadhon was killed by an artillery explosion of unknown origin. Three other TNI soldiers were injured: Chief Soldier Rico Pramudia, Chief Soldier Bayu Prakoso, and Chief Soldier Arif Kurniawan.
The next day, Captain Infantry Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Sergeant One Muhammad Nur Ichwan were killed after the vehicle they were escorting exploded in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon. Two other Indonesian military soldiers were injured: First Lieutenant Infantry Sulthan Wirdean Maulana and Chief Soldier Deni Rianto.
This series of events occurred shortly after the Israeli military, or Israel Defense Forces (IDF), announced an increase in ground and air attacks against Hezbollah. This escalation has impacted UNIFIL’s area of operations along the Lebanon-Israel border, which has long served as a buffer zone for the conflict.