In a sombre ceremony today, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary, fellow peacekeepers and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) paid their last respects to a fallen Indonesian peacekeeper, who died of medical conditions on Monday. 

In his remarks at a memorial service in the tarmac of the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Major General Beary said the untimely passing of Second Corporal Ajat Wahyudin, 35, has “left us all in shock.”

“He was a proud peacekeeper, taking pride in the work he was doing on behalf of the United Nations, and pride in the fact that he represented his country on international service,” said the UNIFIL head, after presenting posthumously the UN medal in recognition of his service to the cause of international peace and security.

At the ceremony, the LAF also awarded Corporal Wahyudin with a Lebanese medal for his service and sacrifice in furthering peace in south Lebanon.

The commander of UNIFIL’s Indonesia Battalion Lt. Col. Arfan Johan Wihananto said Corporal Wahyudin was “a devoted soldier, a loyal friend and a wonderful father.”

“For the family of Corporal Ajat, we know that words alone can’t ease the pain; but perhaps it helps a little bit to know that we stand with you in honouring your loved one,” said Lt. Col. Wihananto. “We admire him and cherish the work that he did.” 

From West Java, in Indonesia, Corporal Wahyudin devoted 14 years of his life to the Indonesian Naval Forces, with the last seven months serving with UNIFIL.