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Join on Telegram Rabat – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres paid tribute on Friday to three Moroccan peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping operations.
During the UN’s annual ceremony honoring civilian and uniformed personnel who died in peacekeeping missions, Guterres presented the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously to the three members of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces.
The medal was received by Omar Hilale, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who was accompanied by Colonel Najim Assid, military adviser to Morocco’s permanent mission to the UN.
Two of the fallen peacekeepers served with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), while the third served with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
Hilale extended his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers and to the wider UN peacekeeping community. He commended their dedication and sacrifice in defending peace and upholding the values of the United Nations.
Morocco remains one of the top 10 contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping operations, with 1,714 peacekeepers currently deployed in MONUSCO and MINUSCA missions.
The ceremony also honored nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have died while serving under the UN flag since 1948. Among them were 59 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers who lost their lives during the past year.
Addressing the gathering, Guterres said the peacekeepers, who came from 33 countries, “represent the best of humanity. Women and men willing to risk everything to protect others.” He added that UN peacekeepers continue to serve as a symbol of hope for people facing some of the world’s most difficult crises.
The UN chief also recalled the contribution of troop-contributing countries, noting that more than two million women and men have served in 71 peacekeeping operations across four continents since the organization’s first missions were launched.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 2002, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed each year to recognize the service of peacekeepers around the world and honor those who have given their lives in the cause of peace.
MWN with MAP
