By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MANILA – A Filipino peacekeeper who died last year while serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) is among those who will be honored posthumously by the UN today – the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Sergeant Benson Angot, a member of the 115-strong 17th Philippine Contingent to Liberia (PCL), died of malaria on October 22, 2013 while on duty in the Golan Heights.
The 17th PCL was deployed July last year to assist in the maintenance of law and order in the country following a ceasefire that ended the Second Liberian Civil War.
According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a total of 106 Blue Helmets lost their lives the previous year while serving the cause of peace, bringing the total number of peacekeepers who perished carrying out their duty under the UN flag to more than 3,200.
“We mourn the passing of every one of these courageous individuals,” said Ban. “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.”
To honor the fallen peacekeepers and those who continue to serve in the cause of peace, there will be several events at the UN Headquarters in New York, as well as at the UN peacekeeping operations and offices around the world.
The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers was established by the General Assembly in 2002 to pay tribute to all men and women serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, and to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
The General Assembly designated May 29 as the day of celebration, as it was the date in 1948 when the first UN peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), began operations in Palestine.
This year’s commemorative ceremonies come at a time when the services of UN peacekeepers continue to be in great 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.
The Philippines currently contributes 676 military and police personnel to the UN peacekeeping operations in Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, India-Pakistan, Liberia, and the Middle East./PN
