UN honours two Nigerians with posthumous peacekeeping award

The United Nations has honoured two Nigerians and 101 other military officers, police and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2022.

The two Nigerians are Nasiru Bawa, a police sergeant, and Saratu Haruna, police inspector, who both served with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

According to NAN, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, <span;>received the awards on behalf of the fallen heroes.

The fallen heroes were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld medal on Thursday during an award ceremony to mark the 2023 International Day of UN peacekeepers at UN headquarters in New York.

The International Day of UN peacekeepers was established by the UN General Assembly in 2002 to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the course of promoting peace.

The award ceremony also marked the 75th anniversary of UN peacekeeping.

In his message, Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-general, described the peacekeepers as the “beating heart of our commitment to a more peaceful world.”

“For 75 years, they have supported people and communities rocked by conflicts and upheavals across the globe,” he said.

“Today, on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we honour their extraordinary contributions to international peace and security.”

Also speaking, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, under-secretary-general for peace operations, said the mission is a global tool for security.

“Peacekeeping is a powerful example of how strong partnerships and collective political will can result in meaningful change.

“Working together with local communities and other partners, our personnel protect civilians, advance political solutions, and helping to end conflicts in the pursuit of sustainable peace.

“We appreciate the support of all stakeholders to ensure that UN peacekeeping can continue to work as an effective multilateral tool for global peace and security.”