Lestari Moerdijat: The World Must Guarantee the Security of UN Peacekeeping Troops
Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Lestari Moerdijat, has conveyed deep condolences over the deaths of three Indonesian soldiers who were part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission in southern Lebanon.
In addition, she stressed that the international community must guarantee the security of peacekeeping forces.
“Peacekeeping troops carry a humanitarian mandate. They must not become targets of conflict. The world must ensure maximum protection for them,” Lestari stated in a written statement on Tuesday (31/3).
The three TNI soldiers were reported to have been killed in separate incidents in the UNIFIL operational area in southern Lebanon. They were part of the casualties from the increasing escalation of conflict in the border region, which has heated up in recent weeks.
Since early March 2026, the conflict in southern Lebanon has killed more than 1,200 people, including civilians. In addition, several UN peacekeeping personnel have been reported as victims, either killed or injured.
The incident that killed the Indonesian soldiers is said to have occurred due to projectile attacks and explosions near the peacekeeping forces’ duty area.
The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has issued a strong condemnation and urged a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.
Rerie, Lestari’s familiar nickname, assessed that this event serves as a serious warning to the global community.
Rerie, who is also a legislator from the NasDem Party, emphasised the need for concrete steps to strengthen protection for UN forces.
Rerie, who is also a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), urged ensuring firm action against every attack on UN personnel to prevent impunity.
In addition, Rerie encouraged the government to conduct more intensive international diplomacy to curb the escalation of conflict.
“This is not just sorrow for Indonesia alone, but for the world. Do not let the humanitarian mission be defeated by armed conflict,” she asserted.
The escalation of conflict in the Middle East region, stated the NasDem Party High Council member, shows that the risks to peacekeeping forces remain high.
Therefore, Rerie urged that efforts to protect UN personnel should not only be normative commitments but be implemented in concrete actions on the ground.
Indonesia has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and urged a swift, thorough, and transparent investigation regarding the deaths of Indonesian members in UNIFIL.
Indonesia and Lebanon have strongly condemned the attack on the UNIFIL peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of those members.
The UN has stated that the attack on UNIFIL in Lebanon violates Resolution 1701. Three Indonesian soldiers fell in the peacekeeping mission due to artillery attacks and a convoy.
The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) has revealed the identities of two soldiers who died in a vehicle explosion during the UNIFIL escort mission in southern Lebanon. Two others were injured.
TNI has confirmed that two UNIFIL peacekeeping mission soldiers died in an explosion incident in southern Lebanon, namely Captain Inf Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Staff Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan.