An Ethiopian peacekeeper who died while serving in South Sudan is among 68 military, police and civilian personnel due to be honoured posthumously at a United Nations Headquarters ceremony on 5 June to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Major Tesfaye Biru Degefa, who lost his life in July 2025 while serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan, will receive the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal alongside other fallen peacekeepers who died in the line of duty last year, according to the UN.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled to lay a wreath in memory of nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have died since 1948 and will preside over the ceremony. The tribute is intended to honour the men and women serving under the UN flag in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.
More than 50,000 civilian, military and police peacekeepers are currently deployed in 11 UN peacekeeping missions, with 118 countries contributing uniformed personnel. The UN says peacekeeping remains a critical tool for protecting civilians and preventing violence from escalating in fragile states.
Ethiopia is the 12th-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping, with more than 900 military and police personnel, including 113 women, currently serving in South Sudan.
In a message marking the day, Guterres said peacekeepers deserve stronger backing and protection. “No one should die serving the cause of peace,” he said, calling attacks on peacekeepers grave violations of international humanitarian law.
He added that peacekeeping remains “a proven and cost-effective way to restore stability and hope,” but one that requires sustained political and financial support. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, said investing in peacekeeping means investing in stability, prevention and the possibility of peace itself.
