Phl relays concern on safety of 45 Fijian peacekeepers

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has relayed to Fiji its concern over the safety of 45 Fijian peacekeepers being held by militants in the Golan Heights.

Sources, who declined to be named, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario wrote Fiji Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola yesterday to express Manila’s deep concern for the safety of the peacekeepers belonging to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

In his letter, Del Rosario expressed hope the abducted Fijian peacekeepers would be released unharmed soon. He also praised the Fijian peacekeepers for their bravery.

The Philippines had earlier urged the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNDOF to exert all efforts to secure the release of the peacekeepers.

Syrian rebels seized the Fijian peacekeepers on Aug. 28 in the vicinity of Al Qunaytirah after the latter were tricked into surrendering their weapons. The rebels also asked the UNDOF Indian commander Lt. Gen. Iqbal Singh Singha to convince the Filipinos to surrender their weapons and leave their positions in exchange for the freedom of the Fijians.

The Filipinos, however, chose to fight it out after days of standoff before slipping away under cover of darkness.

Del Rosario is set to meet with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN headquarters in New York next week to discuss the exchange of accusations between the Filipino soldiers and Singha.

The Filipinos castigated Singha for ordering them to surrender while the latter accused the Filipino soldiers of deserting their positions.

UN Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous would later commend Singha for his action.