Nepal condemns attacks on UNIFIL, NA personnel safe in Lebanon

Kathmandu, Oct. 15

Nepal has condemned the recent attacks on the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers.

Following a joint statement by the 34 UNIFIL-contributing countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Nepal said in its message in X (known as Twitter earlier) on Tuesday that such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated.

The joint statement by the UNIFIL-contributing countries has strongly condemned the attacks on peacekeepers and urged the parties of the conflict to guarantee their safety and security.

"We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL's presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times so that they can continue to implement its mandate and continue their work of meditation and support for peace and stability in Lebanon and the entire region," read the statement.

The contributing countries also said they consider UNIFIL's role as particularly crucial in light of the escalating situation in the region

Reiterating their commitment to multilateral cooperation with the UN at its core, the UNIFIL-contributing countries have called for respect for the international law, in particular the Charter of the UN as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

Co-signatories of this letter are Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and Tanzania.

Meanwhile, RSS adds:  The Nepali Army (NA) has confirmed that all its personnel deployed in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon are safe.    
NA spokesperson Gaurav Kumar KC stated that the army is in regular contact with its security forces in Lebanon, and all members are unharmed.    
However, sporadic incidents in the region have disrupted the daily operations of the mission, KC told the RSS.    
He said the NA will follow directives from the UN and mission headquarters concerning the ongoing situation in Lebanon. Currently, there are 877 NA personnel serving as peacekeepers in UNIFIL.    

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 October 2024.