{"id":25603,"date":"2014-09-12T17:57:56","date_gmt":"2014-09-12T09:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=25603"},"modified":"2014-09-12T17:37:34","modified_gmt":"2014-09-12T09:37:34","slug":"freed-fijian-troops-call-home-and-then-celebrate-after-release-from-2-weeks-of-captivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/09\/12\/freed-fijian-troops-call-home-and-then-celebrate-after-release-from-2-weeks-of-captivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Freed Fijian troops call home and then celebrate after release from 2 weeks of captivity"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Commanding<\/a>
Commanding Officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Peacekeeping Operations Center, points to an area of a map where peacekeepers are stationed in Golan Heights. Photo courtesy of Aaron Favila.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SUVA, Fiji\u2014First came the emotional calls home and then the celebrations Friday as 45 Fijian peacekeepers held captive for two weeks by Syrian militants made it to safety.<\/p>\n

Fiji\u2019s military chief described how his troops were released at about midnight Fijian time, and were immediately given access to telephones to call their loved ones. By 2 a.m. every affected family in Fiji knew the good news, Brig. Gen. Mosese Tikoitoga told reporters.<\/p>\n

Then, he said, came the grog ceremony. In Fiji, at least, that would mean drinking a potent local brew, kava, although the chief didn\u2019t say if that was the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could see the singing and drinking in the background, all the laughter, so they are all back to Fijian moods,\u201d said Tikoitoga, describing a video call he had with his troops. \u201cAnd so I assume that all is well with them, at least emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fijians had been held captive by the al-Qaida linked Nusra Front since Aug. 28. They were part of a 1,200-strong U.N. force that had been stationed in the Golan Heights, the disputed buffer zone between Syria and Israel.<\/p>\n

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the Fijians were released at the Syrian side of the Quneitra crossing point, which marks the area between Syrian-controlled territory and the Israeli part of the Golan Heights.<\/p>\n

Fiji\u2019s prime minister hailed the troops as \u201cheroes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey kept their cool and showed restraint under the most extreme circumstances imaginable,\u201d Voreqe Bainimarama said. \u201cBecause of their discipline, not one militant was killed and none of our soldiers were harmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, the capture of the troops has raised questions both about the preparedness of the Fijian troops and of the future of the U.N.\u2019s four decade-long monitoring mission in the Golan Heights.<\/p>\n

Tikoitoga said his troops had to make a decision to surrender Aug. 28, in consultation with U.N. commanders, based on their position and the firepower of the militants. He said they did so only after receiving reassurances from the Nusra Front that they would not be harmed.<\/p>\n

He said his soldiers felt no hostility toward\u00a0Filipino\u00a0troops, who were also surrounded by the Nusra Front but who refused to surrender and later escaped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey made the choices they made in concurrence with their own government, and we respect that,\u201d Tikoitoga said. \u201cFor us, we\u2019ve done what we needed to do for the safety of our people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chief said the released soldiers would go through medical and psychological testing before a decision was made about whether they would remain on duty in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe general feeling is that they want to stay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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