June 6, 2026 | 05:50 pm
A solemn memorial service honoring a UNIFIL peacekeeper Corporal Rico Pramudia, in Beirut, Lebanon, April 26, 2026. Doc. UNIFIL
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Nations officially awarded the Dag Hammarksjold Medal to two Indonesian peacekeepers who died on duty in 2025.According to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia (PTRI) to the UN in New York, Dag Hammarksjold was officially awarded the International Day of UN Peacekeepers at the UN Headquarters in New York on Friday, June 5."During the ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres awarded the prestigious Dag Hammarksjold Medal to honor UN peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives for world peace throughout 2025. Indonesia pays its deepest respects to our fallen personnel," the PTRI in New York stated, as quoted by ANTARA.The two Indonesian peacekeepers who received the posthumous award were Corporal Second Class Eko Prambudi Santoso, who served with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and Police Brigadier Chief Sri Widodo, who died while serving with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).The medal was presented by Antonio Guterres to the Indonesian Permanent Representative to the UN, Umar Hadi, accompanied by the Military Advisor to the PTRI New York, Brigadier General Robertus Subono."Their sacrifice is a testament to Indonesia's unwavering dedication to peace," said the PTRI New York.According to the UN Information Center (UNIC) Indonesia, this year the Dag Hammarksjold was also awarded posthumously to 66 military, police, and other civilian personnel who died while carrying out their duties with the UN.This brings the total number of posthumous award recipients this year, including two Indonesian peacekeepers, to 68. To date, more than 50,000 peacekeepers from 118 contributing countries have participated in 11 UN peacekeeping missions.Indonesia is the sixth-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, with nearly 2,000 military and police personnel — including 156 women — deployed to operations in several conflict areas.Meanwhile, four Indonesian peacekeepers who died while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) during the Israel-Hezbollah war earlier this year will be awarded the Dag Hammarksjold medal in 2027.Read: UN Chief Pays Tribute to Fallen UNIFIL PeacekeepersClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
