Indonesian UN Peacekeeper Dies During Tour in DR Congo

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has expressed her condolences for the death of an Indonesian Army non-commissioned officer who was killed during his tour as a UN peacekeeper in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“[We pay] the highest appreciation to Sergeant Major Rama Wahyudi for his services and sacrifice in maintaining world peace. May God give fortitude to his family," said Retno in a press statement on Wednesday, June 24.

Calling for justice

"The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the attack on Monusco [the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo],” she added. “We ask the Congolese authorities to investigate the incident and take the perpetrators to court.”

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Retno said Indonesia constantly champions the safety and capabilities of UN peacekeeping missions. Indonesia is the UN’s eighth-largest contributor to peacekeeping forces.

Monusco head Leila Zerrougui also condemned the attack, which she blamed on Alliance of Democratic Forces [ADF] rebels in the Congo.

Killed in the line of duty

KOMPAS.COM/IDON

MONUSCO communications officer Sy Koumbo announced that insurgents attacked Sergeant Major Wahyudi’s patrol near the town of Beni in Congo’s North Kivu Province on Monday, June 22.

“The attack killed [Sergeant Major Wahyudi] and wounded [First Private Syafii Makbul]. The latter is in stable condition,” said Koumbo, as quoted by AFP on Tuesday, 23 June.

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The ADF has been operating in the eastern part of the Congo. The group’s attacks on the Congolese army and peacekeepers claimed over 500 people in October 2019. The ADF also killed 22 UN peacekeepers between December 2017 and December 2018.

1,047 Indonesian peacekeepers are currently deployed with MONUSCO, which is the second-largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world with nearly 20,000 personnel. 

(Writers: Dani Prabowo, Ardi Priyatno Utomo/Editors: Dani Prabowo, Ardi Priyatno)

Sources:

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/06/24/06482661/menlu-retno-sampaikan-belasungkawa-atas-gugurnya-pasukan-penjaga-perdamaian?page=all#page2. 

https://www.kompas.com/global/read/2020/06/23/194543170/pasukan-penjaga-perdamaian-pbb-asal-indonesia-gugur-di-rd-kongo.