Rabat – Moroccan Corporal Rachid Abarki perished on April 24, 2018, while serving under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.
During a ceremony at the UN headquarters to honor the 119 soldiers, police officers and civilians who lost their lives in peacekeeping operations in 2018 and 2019, the Dag Hammarskjöld medal was handed by UNSG Antonio Guterres to deputy permanent representative of Morocco to the UN Omar Kadiri, in the presence of military advisor to Morocco’s permanent mission to the UN, Colonel Abdelhak Mhasni.
A moment of silence was subsequently observed in memory of the fallen UN soldiers and staff.
In a speech on the occasion, Guterres said that today’s honorees were military and police personnel, international civil servants, national staff and UN Volunteers from 38 countries who served in 12 different UN peace operations around the world.
“Hailing from different backgrounds, our fallen heroes were united in their efforts to help the UN attain its most important objective – to save further generations from the scourge of war”, said Guterres. “The medal we posthumously honor them with, bears the name of Secretary-General Hammarskjöld”.
“Today, as we honour our fallen colleagues with the Dag Hammarskjöld medal, let us also honor them by living up to his call to never abandon the pursuit of peace”, he stressed.
