The ceremony, held on May 29, 2025, at UN headquarters in New York, was attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who presented the prestigious medals.
The two Rwandan soldiers honored were Sergeant Major Fiston Murwanashyaka, who died on February 24, 2024, and Corporal Eliakim Niyitegeka, who passed away on July 11, 2024.
Both soldiers were killed while serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
The medals were received by Rwanda's Ambassador to the United Nations, Martin Ngoga, on behalf of the families of the fallen soldiers.
The Dag Hammarskjöld Medals are named in honor of the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld, who tragically died in a plane crash in Zambia in September 1961.
On July 22, 1997, the UN Security Council established these medals to honor those who sacrifice their lives while on peacekeeping missions under the UN's mandate.
During the same event, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also laid a wreath to honor the 4,400 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948.
"Over the decades, more than 2 million women and men have served in 71 missions across four continents," said Guterres during the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal ceremony.
"In the communities and countries in which they serve, UN peacekeepers are an important symbol of the United Nations at its best. Together, they have helped improve millions of lives."
Guterres acknowledged the complex challenges UN peacekeepers face in today's worldâ€"terrorism, borderless crime, and misinformation, which have made them vulnerable to attacks.
He stressed the importance of adapting peacekeeping efforts to meet new realities in these difficult times.
Guterres also presented the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2024 to Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana.
Additionally, Chief Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone was awarded the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award. Both women served in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei.
Thursday's events marked the annual observance of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, celebrated on May 29.
Théophile Niyitegeka
