RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s sixth president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), emphasized that peacekeepers are not combat troops and should never be treated as such. He explained that under their mandate, peacekeepers are not assigned to carry out military operations.

According to SBY, their role is defined in Chapter VI of the UN Charter: maintaining stability, not engaging in offensive actions. “For example, the Garuda XXIII/S contingent currently deployed in Lebanon is tasked with peacekeeping, not peacemaking,” he wrote in a post on X, Sunday, April 5, 2026.

SBY noted that peacekeepers are lightly armed and lack the mandate to conduct combat missions. He added that Indonesian peacekeepers are stationed along the “blue line” demarcation zone separating Israel and southern Lebanon.

“Reports indicate Israeli forces have advanced seven kilometers beyond the blue line. This situation is extremely dangerous for peacekeepers, who could become casualties at any moment,” he warned.

SBY urged the UN Security Council to take immediate and concrete steps following the deaths of Indonesian troops serving under UNIFIL. “The Security Council must convene and issue a firm, clear resolution,” he said, arguing that the UN in New York should act decisively, either halting UNIFIL’s mission or relocating peacekeepers away from active conflict zones.

SBY stressed that his statements stem from a moral obligation to speak out. “Just as President Prabowo has done, I personally feel a moral duty to fight for justice for the Indonesian soldiers who became victims in Lebanon,” he said. (Diffa Sephiawardhani/Sri Wahyuni)