SBY: TNI in Lebanon Now in War Zone, No Longer Blue Zone
Former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, or SBY, stated that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel deployed with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are now in a war zone. Yudhoyono remarked that peacekeeping forces should operate along the blue line, the border area separating Israeli and Lebanese territory.
According to the sixth president, the area in Lebanon occupied by TNI soldiers was originally a blue zone and not a combat or war zone.
“Now, the reality is that what was once around the ‘blue line’ has now become a ‘war zone’, where battles between Israel and Hezbollah rage daily. It is even reported that Israeli forces have advanced 7 kilometres from the ‘blue line’,” said Yudhoyono via his X account, @SBYudhoyono, on Sunday, 5 April 2026.
Yudhoyono stated that this situation is highly dangerous for peacekeeping forces, including TNI personnel. Because at any moment, they could become victims of the ongoing battles.
He explained that the task of UN peacekeeping units, such as Contingent Garuda XXIII/S, is to maintain peace or peacekeeping, not to create peace or peacemaking. Peacekeeping forces are not heavily armed and are not mandated to carry out combat tasks.
Yudhoyono mentioned that this is regulated under Chapter 6 of the UN Charter. Based on those regulations, Yudhoyono continued, peacekeepers are tasked with maintaining peace in the blue zone, not acting as peacemakers in a war zone.
“With this argument, the UN in New York should immediately take firm decisions and steps to halt the UNIFIL deployment or relocate their positions away from the current raging battlefield,” said Yudhoyono.
In that social media post on X, Yudhoyono also expressed condolences for the deaths of Corporal Farizal Rhomadhon, Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, and Muhammad Nur Ichwan, three TNI soldiers serving as peacekeepers in Lebanon.
Yudhoyono recounted that his heart trembled upon witnessing the tears of the soldiers’ families. Yudhoyono also accompanied President Prabowo Subianto in paying final respects to the three bodies, which was held at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Saturday, 4 April 2026.
SBY said he could feel the deep grief experienced by the bereaved families. “I know the meaning of the tears falling on their cheeks,” said Yudhoyono. Therefore, he supports the government’s steps to demand that the UN conduct an investigation.
He assessed that the UN, particularly UNIFIL, must be able to explain why a series of consecutive incidents resulting in fatalities and injuries have occurred.
Yudhoyono understands that conducting an investigation in such a dynamic combat situation is not easy.
“However, it must still be carried out in the hope that the results will be logical and reasonable (acceptable, believable narrative),” said Yudhoyono.