Major Jagroop Syria Bound
80 soldiers, five staff officers from RFMF head for Golan Heights and Syria
Eighty soldiers and five staff officers of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) left the country this morning to serve as peacekeepers in the Golan Heights and Syria.
Major Anurag Jagroop is
among the five staff officers who will be based at the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) headquarters in Syria. He will take over the role of Senior Logistics Officer from Major Eminoni Nabogibogi.
“It is a privilege to be part of a team that is responsible for world peace from a small island nation,” he said. “This is my fourth tour of duty. The only difference to me personally is that my children are now of an age that they would realise my absence.”
His last tour was five years ago.
During that time, his daughter Sejal was born.
He said family was his strength and despite what was happening in the world on the other side, he found the strength from his family and comrades who would be his family when he serves.
Major Jagroop, Major Seremaia Waqanisau, Major Ifiremi Sakumeni, Captain Cakacaka and Bernadette Daurewa will be based at Camp Faour.
This is the headquarters of the UNDOF operations in Syria, where the defence forces of Ireland, Nepal, India and Fiji work together. The 80 officers will be based at Camp Zawari.
Major Jagroop said this time there was an added element of COVID-19, which they would have to contend with.
He said there had been reports of zero cases where they would be based. He said all officers serving for the United Nations were vaccinated.
Mr Jagroop said while he would not be a newbie to tours, it would definitely be a different experience, under the new normal.
Civil war is rife in Syria and more than 13 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the latest news.