UN to honor fallen peacekeepers including Filipino soldier who died of malaria

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations (UN) will honor on Thursday 106 peacekeepers who lost their lives in line of duty last year including a Filipino soldier who died of malaria in Liberia.

Sgt. Benson Angot, who died on Oct. 22, 2013, and 105 others will be honored posthumously during the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

The Army soldier used to be part of the 17th Philippine contingent deployed to Liberia in 2012.

The fallen peacekeepers will be awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, which is given to members of peacekeeping operations who lost their lives while under the operational control and authority of the UN.

“Last year, 106 Peacekeepers perished carrying out their duty under the UN flag, bringing the total number of lives lost in the history of peacekeeping to more than 3,200,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We mourn the passing of every one of these courageous individuals. We grieve with their friends and families and we recommit ourselves to ensure that their contributions to the cause of peace will never be forgotten,” he added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines also awarded a posthumous medal to Angot last December to recognize his contributions to international peacekeeping efforts.

The Philippines has deployed 676 soldiers and policemen to UN peacekeeping operations in Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, India-Pakistan, Liberia, and the Middle East including Golan Heights.   

The country has been sending peacekeepers to these areas in line with its commitment to maintain global peace.

The UN said commemorative activities would be held at its New York headquarters as well as peacekeeping offices around the world.

Ban is expected to witness a solemn wreath-laying ceremony in honor of all fallen peacekeepers. He will also deliver remarks during the awarding of posthumous medals to the fallen peacekeepers.

“We honor those who have lost their lives while serving on our peacekeeping operations. Our courageous peacekeepers who made this ultimate sacrifice did so so that others could have a better life,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous.

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the General Assembly in 2002 to pay tribute to peacekeeping contingents and to those who lost their lives in the cause of peace. 

The event is held every May 29 because the UN Truce Supervision Organization, the world body’s first peacekeeping mission, started operations in Palestine on the same date.

About 85,000 soldiers, 12,500 policemen, and 17,000 international civilian and national staff are conducting peacekeeping operations in four continents.