Army advance party prepares Golan Heights handover
An advance party had left the country for the Golan Heights to prepare for the handover from one Fijian battalion to another says the Republic of Fiji Military Forces chief-of-staff Colonel Ratu Jone Kalouniwai. Colonel Kalouniwai said this was a normal routine for the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. The party would be there to prepare for the handover of the returning home battalion to the incoming one currently preparing at Black Rock in Nadi.
“They had already left the country and will be filing their report soon before the change over,” Colonel Kalouniwai said. Colonel Kalouniwai said the troops at Black Rock had completed their preparation and were ready for their assignment. The Battalion in the Golan Heights is a key part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force monitoring the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.
They have also been affected by fighting between rival forces in the Syria civil war on the Syrian side of the border. Meanwhile he said a team from the United Nations had visited the country in July and members were impressed with the preparations the Fijian military were doing with soldiers who were to be deployed on United Nations (UN) missions.
When asked if there were new areas of peacekeeping duties for the soldiers, Colonel Kalouniwai said there were no new requests but they were ready if called by the UN.