May 09, 2026 01:27 pm (IST)
Follow us:
UNSC creates new medal to honour courage of personnel
New York, May 9 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday decided to create 'the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage' in honour of a United Nations peacekeeper credited with saving hundreds of, perhaps even a thousand, Rwandans from death during the 1994 genocide.
The medal will be awarded to those military, police, civilian UN personnel and associated personnel “who demonstrate exceptional courage, in the face of extreme danger, while fulfilling the mandate of their missions or their functions, in the service of humanity and the United Nations,” according to a resolution unanimously adopted by the Council.
The medal is named after Captain Mbaye Diagne of Senegal, who served with the former UN Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) and saved, unarmed and in the face of extreme danger, hundreds of, perhaps even a thousand, Rwandans from death during the genocide.
Beginning in April 1994, more than 800,000 Tutsis, as well as Hutu and others who opposed the genocide, were killed over the course of over 100 days.
The Council recognized “with the deepest regret” how the family of Captain Diagne never received, after his death, any expressions of appreciation from UN Headquarters for the sacrifices made by their distinguished family member.
The 15-member body requested the Secretary-General to establish, within six months from on Thursday, the design of the medal, and to submit in due course to the Security Council the modalities for determining how the recipients of the medal shall be nominated and chosen.
(The Security Council met on 8 May 2014 and adopted resolution 2154 to create “the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage”)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
IDF launches probe after soldier seen mocking Virgin Mary's Statue in Lebanon by placing a cigarette in mouth
Fri, May 08 2026
What happened in Morocco? Two US troops go missing amid military exercises, rescue op underway
Mon, May 04 2026
Madness in Seoul: Pokémon event cancelled in South Korea after 40,000 people assemble in forest
Sun, May 03 2026
Israel sent secret laser shield to UAE during Iran attacks: Report
Fri, May 01 2026
Abuse of women journalists made ‘easier and more damaging’ by AI: Study unveils on World Press Freedom Day
Fri, May 01 2026
Indian-born population tops Australia’s foreign-born list, overtaking England after a century
Fri, May 01 2026
UAE leaves OPEC, OPEC+ amid global energy crisis
Tue, Apr 28 2026