UNIFIL peacekeepers today paid their last respect to the 15 UN peacekeepers from Tanzania who lost their lives in an attack last week on their base in North Kivu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hundreds of UNIFIL peacekeepers and civilian staff gathered in the Mission’s headquarters in Naqoura as well as in several of the 55 UN posts in south Lebanon to pay tribute to their fallen colleagues serving with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
 

The UN and Tanzanian flags were lowered to half-mast and the tunes of a single trumpet provided a powerful moment of respect. The UNIFIL military and civilian peacekeepers also observed a moment of silence in memory of the ‘blue helmets.’
 

In his address to the ceremony in the UNIFIL Headquarters, Deputy Head of Mission Imran Riza said the attack, which is the worst on UN peacekeepers in recent history, is a reminder of “the extraordinary sacrifices made by brave men and women like yourselves every day.”
 

“Let us vow to honour their memory by upholding the highest principles of the organization to which they dedicated their lives,” said Mr. Riza. “Their courage and devotion shall continue to inspire us.”
 

UNIFIL has about 160 peacekeepers from Tanzania. With 2,444 troops to UN missions worldwide, it is the 12^th largest troop contributor to the UN peacekeeping.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article: Tilak Pokharel
Video Editor: Suzane Badereddine
Video camera: Mohamad Hamze
Motion Graphics: Zeina Ezzeddine
Photo: Pascual Gorriz Marcos and Sector West
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------