United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) troops from India in South Sudan. File
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Over 550 Indian peacekeepers, together with 53 girls, serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) had been honoured for his or her dedication and dedication to defending civilians and supporting peacebuilding efforts within the conflict-affected nation.
A complete of 565 Indian Blue Helmets and 464 Rwandan peacekeepers acquired the UN Medal of Honour at a ceremony in South Sudan’s Malakal metropolis, UNMISS mentioned on Monday (June 1, 2026).
There have been 53 girls among the many 565 Indian Blue Helmets, it mentioned. Blue Helmets refers to navy personnel, cops and civilian consultants serving beneath the operational command of the United Nations peacekeeping forces.
The peacekeepers had been recognised for his or her efforts in “defending civilians by way of patrols, group engagement, veterinary camps, girls’s self-defence coaching, combating gender violence, and bettering humanitarian entry”, the UN physique mentioned.
UN Mission in South Sudan Drive Commander Main-Basic Junhui Wu mentioned each medal awarded celebrates the “braveness and resilience of our courageous peacekeepers, who exhibit the best requirements of self-discipline, operational effectiveness, and teamwork in a difficult atmosphere”.
Reacting to the honour, the Everlasting Mission of India to the United Nations congratulated the Indian contingent.
“Indian Blue Helmets have constantly upheld the best requirements of professionalism in all their spheres of operation,” the mission mentioned in a social media publish.
India is the second largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, after Nepal.
It at present contributes greater than 4,200 navy and police personnel, together with 155 girls, throughout missions in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, Congo, Lebanon, the Center East, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara.
Almost 180 Indian peacekeepers have misplaced their lives within the line of obligation, the best quantity amongst troop-contributing nations.
Final week, on the event of the Worldwide Day of UN Peacekeepers, Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, who served with UNMISS, had been posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal for his or her sacrifice within the line of obligation.
The Dag Hammarskjold Medal is the best official honour awarded by the United Nations. It’s given posthumously to navy, police, and civilian personnel who’ve made the last word sacrifice whereas serving in UN peacekeeping operations. In one other recognition for India, Main Abhilasha Barak was named the recipient of the 2025 Army Gender Advocate of the Yr Award.
Serving with the UN Interim Drive in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Ms. Barak was honoured for her outreach work with girls and ladies throughout her deployment within the West Asian nation.
Ms. Barak is serving with the Indian Battalion as Commander of the Feminine Engagement Group in UNIFIL and can also be the primary girl fight helicopter pilot within the Indian Military.
Printed – June 02, 2026 03:09 pm IST