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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres paid tribute on Friday in New York to three Moroccan peacekeepers from the Royal Armed Forces during the annual ceremony honoring civilian and uniformed personnel who lost their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping operations.
During the ceremony, Guterres presented the posthumous Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale. Hilale was accompanied by the military adviser of Morocco’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Colonel Najim Assid.
Two of the three Moroccan peacekeepers served with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, while the third was deployed with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a message delivered on the occasion, Hilale expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers and to the wider UN peacekeeping community. He also praised the dedication of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of peace and the core values of the United Nations.
With 1,714 peacekeepers currently deployed in MONUSCO and MINUSCA, Morocco ranks among the ten largest contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping missions worldwide.
The ceremony also honored the memory of approximately 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in UN operations since 1948, including 59 military, police and civilian personnel who died under the UN flag in the past year.
The fallen peacekeepers came from 33 countries and «represent the very best of humanity: women and men willing to risk everything to protect others», Guterres said. He added that «around the world, the United Nations peacekeeper remains a symbol of hope for people in their darkest hours».
The UN chief also highlighted that, thanks to the commitment of troop-contributing countries, more than two million women and men have served in 71 peacekeeping missions across four continents.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 2002, the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is observed each year to honor all those serving in peace operations and to commemorate those who have given their lives in the cause of peace.
