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MPR proposes withdrawal of RI’s peacekeeping troops from Lebanon

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) urged the Indonesian government to consider withdrawing peacekeeping troops from Lebanon, following the deaths of three TNI soldiers near the UNIFIL headquarters.MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani stated that a troop withdrawal is worth considering, especially in the absence of guarantees for the safety of Indonesian soldiers.”If there are no guarantees for the safety of our peacekeeping mission troops, then the MPR requests the government to consider withdrawing all troops from Lebanon,” he remarked in a press conference on Tuesday.According to Muzani, this troop withdrawal is in accordance with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, which mandates the state to protect all its citizens.”In accordance with the constitution, which mandates the protection of the entire nation, Indonesia must withdraw its troops from this peacekeeping mission since the area poses a danger to the safety of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) personnel as has happened in South Lebanon,” he continued.The MPR urged the UN Security Council to hold an investigation and impose sanctions on those responsible for the attack.The MPR also expressed its deepest condolences for the deaths of the soldiers.Chief Private Farizal Rhomadhon, a member of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force from Indonesia, was killed by artillery fire near the Indonesian UNIFIL contingent's position near Adchit Al Qusayr, South Lebanon on March 29.The attack also injured three other personnel namely Chief Private Rico Pramudia, Chief Private Bayu Prakoso, and Chief Private Arif Kurniawan.On the following day, the UN reported that another two Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeepers were killed in an attack on a UNIFIL logistics convoy near Bani Hayyan in South Lebanon on Monday (March 30).The two soldiers killed were Captain (Inf) Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and First Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan.The attack on Monday also injured two other soldiers namely First Lieutenant Sulthan Wirdean Maulana and Chief Private Deni Rianto.