Sudan, June 3:
Over 550 Indian peacekeepers, including 53 women, serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were honoured for their dedication and commitment to protecting civilians and supporting peacebuilding efforts in the conflict-affected country.
A total of 565 Indian Blue Helmets and 464 Rwandan peacekeepers received the UN Medal of Honour at a ceremony in South Sudan’s Malakal city, UNMISS said on Monday.
There were 53 women among the 565 Indian Blue Helmets, it said.
Blue Helmets refers to military personnel, police officers, and civilian experts serving under the operational command of the United Nations peacekeeping forces.
The peacekeepers were recognised for their efforts in “protecting civilians through patrols, community engagement, veterinary camps, women’s self-defence training, combating gender violence, and improving humanitarian access”, the UN body said.
UN Mission in South Sudan Force Commander Major-General Junhui Wu said every medal awarded celebrates the “courage and resilience of our brave peacekeepers, who demonstrate the highest standards of discipline, operational effectiveness, and teamwork in a challenging environment”
Reacting to the honour, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations congratulated the Indian contingent.
“Indian Blue Helmets have consistently upheld the highest standards of professionalism in all their spheres of operation,” the mission said in a social media post.
India is the second largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, after Nepal.