BY NEW BUSINESS ETHIOPIA REPORTER
The International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers will be observed on Tuesday, 29 May honouring 112 peacekepers, among which eight are Ethiopians. 
This marks the fourth year in a row the United Nations will honour more than 100 Blue Helmets who lost their lives the previous year while serving the cause of peace, according to the statement of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU). This sombre milestone is a stark reminder of the risks incurred by individuals who put their lives on the line when they deploy to UN missions around the world.
Commemorative activities will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, as well as at UN peacekeeping operations and offices around the world. The 112 peacekeepers – military, police and civilian -- who lost their lives in 2011 while serving with the United Nations as a result of hostile acts, accidents and disease, will posthumously receive the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal at a ceremony at the UN Headquarters on 29 May.
Among the fallen peacekeepers to be honoured are eight from Ethiopia: Lance Corporal Abreham Bushira ASELE, Private Lechisa Bedada DESALASA, Sergeant Biniam Haile KASSA, Private Abebe Wendmu KEBENA, Corporal Tesfaye Belata NEGASA, who lost their lives while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei; and Lieutenant Gabremeskel Asmelash BRHANA, Captain Hagos Misgina GEBRAY, and Corporal Gedi Abdu MEHAMED, who lost their lives while serving with the United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur.
The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers was established by the General Assembly in 2002 to pay tribute to all men and women serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. The General Assembly designated 29 May as the Day, as it was the date in 1948 when the first United Nations peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), began operations in Palestine.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message for the Day that “Currently, 116 Member States contribute military and police personnel to our operations. This impressive number reflects growing global confidence in the value of United Nations peacekeeping as a tool for collective security.”
“I am deeply grateful for every contribution of troops and police, as well as for the financial and material resources that make peacekeeping possible,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message marking the Day.
"UN Peacekeeping has evolved significantly beyond its traditional role of monitoring ceasefires. Today, we protect civilians, promote human rights, help countries build institutions, protect the rule of law and more. In these efforts, our partners are essential. They bring the added legitimacy, troops, police and other expertise, and the resources needed for the success of peacekeeping operations," said the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous.
This year’s commemorative ceremonies come at a time when the services of United Nations peacekeepers continue to be in great demand. There are more than 84,000 military personnel, 14,000 police officers, 5,400 international civilian and 12,200 national staff serving in 16 peacekeeping operations on four continents.
Ethiopia is currently the 4th largest contributor of military and police personnel to United Nations peace operations. There are now more than 6,300 Ethiopian uniformed personnel serving in five peacekeeping missions -- Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, South Sudan, Sudan
