Juba joins the whole world celebrating today International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
The celebration started at 9:30 at the headquarters of the UN Mission in South Sudan.Japan is at the centre of these year’s celebrations: Japanese peacekeepers are receiving UMISS medals and there is also a presentation of Japanese culture.
UN Secretary General says in his message that the UN Peacekeepers Day is an occasion to remember the sacrifice of those who died in the line of duty and to pledge to carry on their work to bring stability to war-ravaged countries.
He urged the international community to strengthen the global partnerships that make the blue helmets a beacon of hope to millions of people around the world.
Currently there are some 120,000 peacekeepers from 116 countries serving in 17 missions in some of the world’s most volatile and dangerous environments.
More than 2,900 peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty over the years. This year alone, 27 blue helmets died until the end of April.