Fallen Filipino UN peacekeeper, 106 others to be honored

United Nations Filipino peacekeepers FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A Filipino soldier who died last year while serving as a United Nations peacekeeper was among 106 soldiers, police and civilian personnel posthumously honored for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in New York.

Sergeant Benson Angot of the 17th Philippine Contingent to Liberia died of malaria on October 22 last year while on a peacekeeping mission. He was also previously given a posthumous award by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“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. 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,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in a statement.

This is the sixth year the UN will recognize peacekeepers known for their “blue helmets” who lost their lives “while serving the cause of peace.”

Commemorative activities will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, as well as at UN peacekeeping operations and offices around the world.

Ban Ki-Moon will lead the wreath-laying ceremony in honor of the fallen peacekeepers on Thursday, May 29. He will also make a speech at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 106 military, police and civilian personnel who lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping operations last year.

“Let us all commit to following the selfless example of our fallen heroes, as we work together to help our blue helmets be a force for peace, a force for change, and a force for the future,”Ban Ki-Moon said.

The ceremonies come at a time when the need for UN peacekeepers continues to be in demand.  There are nearly 85,000 military personnel, 12,500 police officers, 17,000 international civilian and national staff serving in 16 peacekeeping operations on four continents.

At present, the Philippines has deployed  676 military and police personnel to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, India-Pakistan, Liberia, and the Middle East. With a report from Bong Lozada

RELATED STORY

Filipino UN peacekeepers lauded after Golan stint

PH soldiers who did UN peacekeeping job cited