JAKARTA - Secretary of State Prasetyo Hadi said the government had not made a decision regarding the withdrawal of TNI personnel in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"If the question comes down to the decision to withdraw, it hasn't yet. But with the incident yesterday, of course, we as the government must coordinate," said Prasetyo as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, April 8.
He explained that the government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was still continuing to coordinate and evaluate following the incident that befell TNI soldiers in the area.
According to him, the possibility of withdrawing troops still depends on the results of the ongoing evaluation, including the development of the situation on the ground.
Prasetyo explained that the evaluation also included communications delivered by Indonesian representatives at the United Nations (UN) as part of the assessment of the peace mission.
"What we ask for, which is conveyed by our representatives at the UN, is also part of the evaluation," he said.
Prasetyo ensured that the government would wait for the results of a thorough evaluation before determining the next steps regarding the sustainability of the assignment of troops.
"Yes, we will see the results first," he said.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) said any changes related to the participation of TNI personnel in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) must be carried out with very careful consideration, so that they cannot be withdrawn just like that.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang explained that Indonesia's participation in UNIFIL is part of Indonesia's solid international commitment to world security and peace.
"Therefore, various decisions related to this issue, including the proposal for withdrawal, need to go through very careful consideration, both in terms of personnel safety, the relevance of the UNIFIL mandate, and the Indonesian contribution to regional stability," Yvonne said in a media briefing in Jakarta, Wednesday.
He explained that in its mission, UNIFIL received a direct mandate from the UN Security Council, while its implementation was carried out under the coordination of the secretariat at the UN.
As a troop contributor to UNIFIL, Indonesia and other contributing countries always maintain close coordination with the UN, including to get the latest information on the security and safety of troops in the field.
Therefore, various things and changes related to the participation of personnel in UNIFIL will be carried out with very careful consideration and taking into account the situation on the ground, he said.
Until now, three TNI personnel have fallen and eight others have been injured in three separate attacks while carrying out duties with UNIFIL in Lebanon.
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