Luxembourg joins appeal on retention of Pinoy peacekeepers

LUXEMBOURG – Luxembourg joined the United Nations and United States in appealing to the Philippines not to withdraw its 340-member contingent to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn asked Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario during Monday’s meeting here about the Philippine position on the peacekeeping mission in the Golan Heights, following Austria’s pullout of its 380 troops last month and Japan and Croatia’s decision to leave the peacekeeping mission amid safety concerns.

“I encourage you to stay. I say it in the name of the (UN) Security Council,” Asselborn told Del Rosario during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry.

Asselborn expressed concern on the pullout of peacekeepers. He also commented before a Syria conference in Geneva last May that Syria represented a failure for the UN Security Council, while not giving up hope on the conflict which has lasted for over two years.

Del Rosario told Asselborn that the Philippine government believes in the peacekeeping mission but it is also concerned with the safety of its 340 troops who are among the 1,250 regular peacekeepers in Golan Heights.

“We are the only ones left. Our people were abducted twice and so we took a good look at it and sent an assessment team. We believe in the work we are doing but we look at the safety of our people,” Del Rosario stressed.

He also said that the Philippine contingent is prepared to stay if conditions and increased security are met.

Manila is also prepared to deploy new peacekeepers to the Golan Heights after the current contingent finishes its tour in August if the UN ensures better protection for them.

“We are prepared to stay beyond Aug. 11 and we are considering beyond that time if our conditionalities are met,” Del Rosario said.

Earlier, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry separately made the appeal to Del Rosario and tried to convince the Philippine contingent to stay in the Golan Heights.

President Aquino said he wanted to see greater security and better equipment for the peacekeepers, amended rules of engagement to allow troops to defend themselves when attacked, and the replacement of the Austrian contingent.

Del Rosario is the first foreign affairs secretary to visit Luxembourg to reciprocate Asselborn’s visit to Manila in 2008. Philippine diplomatic relations with Luxembourg were established on Aug. 26, 1946.