The Commander of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force has criticized the defiance of Filipino peacekeepers when they escaped their besieged post under the cover of darkness in the Golan Heights last weekend.
In an interview with Indian media, UN Disengagement Observer Force Commander Lt. Gen. Iqbal Singh Singha says the Filipinos’ resistance further compromised the situation of the Fijian peacekeepers earlier abducted by the Syrian rebels.
Singha has labelled as non-professional the actions of the Filipino troops – when they defied orders at a time when a ceasefire was negotiated the rebels to ensure that all troops in the conflict area could exit.
He says the so called “greatest escape" of the Filipino troops was nothing but an “act of cowardice.”
Singha also insisted that the troops broke the chain of command and overstepped the UN leadership’s authority when their safety and the release of the Fijian hostages were still being negotiated for.
Meanwhile, there was no update today by the Fiji Military Forces Commander Brigadier General Mosese Tikoitoga on the status of negotiations to release the Fijian soldiers.
A media briefing is expected at 9am tomorrow.
