Fiji steps up to assist with precarious Golan Heights

The United Nations said it is significant that Fiji has decided to step in and assist in the situation in Golan Heights.

UN Peacekeeping Chief of Public Affairs Kieran Dwyer said the Fijian army has always been a reliable peacekeeping force and they welcome the troops going to the area later this month.

Fiji is expected to join the United Nations peacekeeping force near the border of Syria, in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights within the next fortnight.

According to Pacific Beat, the United Nations has confirmed that about 170 Fijian military and medical personnel will be deployed to Golan Heights, to replace Austrian troops who pulled out of the mission last week, as hostilities on the Syrian-Israeli border intensify.

 

Last week, the United States announced that it has decided to supply direct military assistance to the Syrian opposition, after confirming that Syrian government forces have used chemical weapons against rebel fighters.

 

Kieran Dwyer said the peacekeepers are part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force charged with the role of monitoring the ceasefire between Syria and Israel.

The contingent will be Fiji’s first contribution to UNDOF since it was established by the UN Security Council in 1974, when Syria and Israel first reached a ceasefire agreement.

Dwyer said Fiji has always been a great contributor to the UN’s peacekeeping efforts.  

 

Dwyer said the decision by the Fijian government has arrived at a crucial moment in the conflict, as the UN Disengagement Observer Force seeks to deescalate tensions between Syria and Israel.

It has been revealed that the UN Security Council is this week considering a policy that ensures peacekeepers can respond with strength and force if necessary, including better protective equipment and better weapons.

The government and the RFMF are yet to comment on the date of the deployment of the peacekeepers to Golan Heights. 

A statement is expected soon.