About 65 of the 300‑plus Fiji Military Forces peacekeepers stationed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula have closed their remote base as the security situation deteriorates.
Commander Humphery Tawake, who heads the RFMF's foreign peacekeeping force, said they were asked to scale down their presence by the leaders of the international peacekeeping operation in Egypt.
Tawake said the U.S. and Colombia were also planning to reduce troop numbers as peacekeepers in the northern Sinai found themselves increasingly caught in the middle of fighting between Egypt's armed forces and militants affiliated with the Islamic State group.
He added that some of their locations were hit by indirect fire and mortars last week but no one was injured.
Tawake said that five of Fiji's remote outposts in Sinai have been closed recently, leaving just two or three operating.
Only about 10 to 15 troops operate the small outposts, making them more vulnerable to attack than larger bases.
He added that the decision about troop numbers were coming from the headquarters of the Multinational Force and Observers group, and exact numbers for Fiji's drawdown are yet to be finalized.
He said Fiji had stationed peacekeepers in Egypt since 1982, with the latest group of a little over 300 beginning a planned one‑year rotation in February.
The Multinational Force and Observers group has continually monitored compliance with the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Twelve nations currently contribute a total of about 1,700 troops to the force, with Fiji authorized to contribute up to 338 troops.
Meanwhile, in 2014, 45 Fijian peacekeepers were held captive in Syria for two weeks by the al‑Qaida linked Nusra Front before being released unharmed.
Source: http://www.seattletimes.com/
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