According to a statement issued by his Spokesman, the Secretary General “strongly condemns the detention of four United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) peacekeepers by armed elements in the vicinity of Al Jamla, in the area of limitation.”

Calling for the peacekeepers’ immediate release, Secretary-General Ban reminded all actors in Syria that UNDOF is mandated to monitor the Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria.

“The Secretary-General calls on all parties to respect UNDOF’s freedom of movement and safety and security,” the statement said.

This latest incident comes nearly two months after 21 UNDOF peacekeepers were captured on 6 March in the same location by armed elements of the Syrian opposition. They were held for fours before being released safely.

In the wake of that incident, the Security Council issued a Presidential Statement on 27 March expressing its “grave concern” at the presence of the Syrian and opposition troops inside the demilitarized area of the Golan Heights, and called on both sides to respect the blue helmets’ freedom of movement and security.

That statement followed a briefing to the Council by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous on the security risks and operational challenges facing UNDOF.

Ladsous told journalists after the closed-door session that UN peacekeepers had reduced their activities in response to the presence of armed groups from the Syrian conflict and have taken additional security measures, including more frequent use of armoured vehicles.

Peacekeepers serving with UNDOF monitor the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war. In December, the Security Council extended the mission’s mandate for another six months, until 30 June 2013.

UN peacekeepers are in the area to monitor the 1974 disengagement accord agreed upon by Syria and Israel after their 1973 war.

“The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern at the risk that all military activities in the area of separation conducted by any actor pose to the long-held ceasefire and the local population,” according to a statement read out by Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the rotating Council presidency for the month of March.

Churkin said that the 15-member Council “also underscored the increased risk the situation poses to United Nations personnel on the ground” including the firing on UN personnel and facilities, carjacking of UN vehicles and the detention of the 21 military personnel from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

The Council noted that the Government of Syria has the primary responsibility for safety and security of UNDOF’s personnel and called on all parties to respect UNDOF’s privileges and immunities and “to ensure the security of and unhindered and immediate access for United Nations personnel carrying out their mandate.”

The statement comes one day after Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous briefed the Council on the security risks and operational challenges facing UNDOF. He told journalists after the closed-door session that UN peacekeepers reduced their activities in response to the presence of armed groups from the Syrian conflict and have taken additional security measures, which include the use of more armoured vehicles.

In that context, the Council welcomed the provision of “additional security upgrades and equipment.” Council members also urged UNDOF to consider the temporary use of alternative ports of entry and departure to ensure safe personnel rotation.

The UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was first established by the Council in 1974 to supervise the disengagement accord between Syrian and Israeli forces after their 1973 war.

In the unanimously adopted resolution extending the mission, the Council called on all parties to cooperate fully with the operations of UNDOF and to ensure the security of, as well as unhindered and immediate access for, the UN personnel carrying out UNDOF’s mandate.

It also stressed the obligation on both parties to “scrupulously and fully respect” the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and called on them to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any breaches of the ceasefire and the area of separation.

In his latest report on the activities of UNDOF, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that, in the light of regional unrest, the situation in the Middle East is likely to remain tense for the foreseeable future.

He added that since the discontinuation of indirect peace talks in December 2008, there have been no negotiations between the parties, and the current crisis in Syria further complicates efforts towards Israeli-Syrian peace.

“Under the prevailing circumstances, I consider the continued presence of UNDOF in the area to be essential,” he stated.