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Rabat — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has posthumously honored Corporal Karim Temara, a member of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, who died in 2024 while serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a UN peacekeeping mission.
The tribute took place during the UN’s annual memorial ceremony held Thursday, May 29, at the organization’s headquarters in New York, commemorating civilian and uniformed personnel who lost their lives in peacekeeping operations.
The event was attended by Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Omar Hilale, and Colonel Najim Assid, Military Adviser to Morocco’s Permanent Mission.
Corporal Temara was serving with the Moroccan contingent deployed to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) when he died from accidental electrocution.
In recognition of his sacrifice, the Secretary-General awarded him the “Dag Hammarskjold” Medal – an accolade named after the UN’s second secretary general, and given posthumously to UN military personnel or civilians who gave their life while serving UN’s peacekeeping missions.
Temara was not the only Moroccan peacekeeper to lose his life in the line of duty recently; on May 13, another member of Morocco’s contingent tragically died in a fatal road accident in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which also left four fellow Moroccan peacekeepers injured.
This year’s ceremony also paid homage to the more than 4,400 UN peacekeepers who have died in service since 1948, including 57 military, police, and civilian personnel who died in 2024 alone.
“We pay tribute to these brave women and men who died — far from home and their loved ones — while serving the most noble cause of humanity: peace,” said Guterres in his address. “Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
Guterres noted that over the decades, more than two million individuals have served in 71 peacekeeping missions across four continents. The secretary-general expressed deep gratitude to all member states for their ongoing support and contributions.
Ambassador Hilale offered condolences on behalf of Morocco to the families of fallen peacekeepers and the global peacekeeping community. He praised the courage and dedication of those who died defending peace, security, and the shared values and principles of the United Nations.
The official ceremony was preceded by a military parade, during which three officers of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces were honored by Jean-Pierre Lacroix, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, and Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support — emphasizing the UN’s deep appreciation for Morocco’s steadfast and significant contributions to global peacekeeping initiatives.
Morocco currently ranks among the top ten contributors of uniformed personnel to United Nations peacekeeping missions, with 1,714 Moroccan troops deployed in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
These deployments play a vital role in sustaining the UN’s peacekeeping presence amid persistent political instability, armed conflict, and complex humanitarian crises in both countries.
