The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has posthumously recognized Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Mizyura, a senior officer of the Russian military observer group attached to the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The recognition comes on the eve of International Day of Peacekeeping and has been reported by DEA News, citing Fyodor Strzhizhovsky, the press secretary for the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN.
According to Strzhizhovsky, the UN secretary-general awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to the Russian peacekeeper who died in the line of duty. The medal will be dispatched to Vasily Nebenza, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, and then forwarded to the family of the fallen officer. This ceremony underscores the risks faced by UN peacekeepers and the enduring commitment of member states to civilian and military personnel serving in conflict zones, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where peacekeeping operations have continued to operate amid security challenges. (Source: DEA News)
Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld served as UN Secretary-General from 1953 to 1961. His tenure included a peacekeeping mission in the Congo, and he died in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia while overseeing UN operations. The precise details surrounding the disaster remain a matter of historical discussion and inquiry. The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, named in his honor, is awarded to individuals who have given their lives in the pursuit of UN peacekeeping goals. (Source: DEA News)
In related context, recent demonstrations in the region have at times targeted UN facilities, with incidents including the raid and looting of mission buildings and warehouses in Goma, located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Such events highlight the ongoing security risks that peacekeepers and humanitarian workers navigate while supporting stabilization and protection efforts for civilians. (Source: DEA News)