Govt urges citizens to leave Iraq
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The government urged Indonesian citizens in Iraq on Tuesday to leave the war-torn country, following the killing of Fahmi Akhmad Wani in an ambush by Iraqi resistance fighters in Mosul, Northern Iraq last Sunday.
Currently, there are seven Indonesian students studying in Iraq, who refused to leave the war-torn country despite the increasing security threats.
The government underlined that the incident confirmed that the situation in Iraq remained dangerous.
"Given the current security conditions, we once again urge Indonesians to avoid traveling to Iraq, including accepting work contracts in Iraq," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.
"For those who choose to remain in Iraq or insist on entering the country, they should inform the nearest Indonesian representative offices," Marty added.
He also said that the government expressed its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and urged Fahmi's employer to honor his rights in connection with the terms of his work contract.
Fahmi was employed by the British Penta Consulting, a sub- contractor of German-based telecommunications company Siemens in Abu Dhabi.
Fahmi, 27, went to Iraq on May 28 to set up a GSM network for Siemens in Mosul city. He died in an ambush on Sunday, along with two Iraqis, who served as his driver and guide.
Indonesia has a standing travel advisory issued in 2002, for its citizens to leave the country before the U.S. operation began in Iraq in March 2003.
The government also urged the interim Iraqi government to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Marty said that local authorities had not yet conveyed how the incident happened or established who had ambushed the convoy.
"We haven't received any details of the chronology of the incident, and we are still waiting for the death certificate from the local hospital before we can take his remains back to Jakarta," he said.
Two Indonesian Embassy officials from Amman, Jordan, are currently assisting in the evacuation of Fahmi's body, with the full support of the company that hired him.
Marty said there were several possible routes to take his remains back to Jakarta, including through Damascus, Amman or Abu Dhabi.
"We cannot determine when we will be able to collect the remains and bring them back because the process will take quite some time," he said.