Despite a downpour, hundreds of civilian and uniformed peacekeepers turned out at UNMIL Headquarters on Thursday, 29 May 2014, to honour their colleagues who lost their lives in the name of peace over the past year. The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was marked by sombre tributes, inspiring songs, and messages of solidarity and promise for the future.

Vice President of Liberia Joseph Boakai joined the celebrations, highlighting the contribution of UN Peacekeepers to the country’s decade of peace. The future, he says, now rests in the hands of Liberians.

“It is only when we have reached peace with ourselves that we can give the biggest tribute to UNMIL, sustaining that for which they have so long sacrificed and maintained,” he said. “We salute all men and women in arms who have given to the cause of peace and security of our common planet.”

 “2013 has been a challenging year in international peacekeeping,” said Karin Landgren, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Liberia. “Fresh conflicts arose, and some existing situations worsened.” In Liberia alone, 19 UNMIL colleagues passed away in the last year.

However, as Landgren pointed out, 2013 marked the first time that the Armed Forces of Liberia have themselves participated in UN Peacekeeping operations, marking a significant turning point in the country’s history. In June, the AFL will have completed its first year of deployment with MINUSMA, the UN Peacekeeping operation in Mali. In the day’s parade at UNMIL Headquarters, AFL soldiers marched alongside UN Peacekeepers in solidarity.

Young Liberian musicians sang “That’s What Friends Are For,” in a musical tribute. A parade of peacekeepers from different countries, along with the AFL and Liberia National Police as well as Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) preceded the reading of names of those who died in service to peace in Liberia in 2013 to 2014. Finally, Landgren and Boakai laid one wreath each in honour of the fallen peacekeepers.

Marufatu Essie Braimah, a UN Police Officer from Ghana, was in tears during the ceremony, not because she had lost someone close to her but because she was reminded that it could have been her.

“We are brothers and sisters. Today makes me think about the sacrifice we are all making,” said Braimah. “I wonder why I’m still here, but I know it’s because I still have more work to do, so much more work to do.”

The UN Peacekeepers Day ceremony was attended by members of the Diplomatic Corps, Heads of UN Agencies, and civil society organizations. It was followed by a photo exhibition and reception for guests, where a video tribute to the fallen was screened.

Similar events in tribute to peacekeepers were held across Liberia. In Margibi County, a quiz between students of St. Augustine Episcopal High School and Gibson United Methodist School was organized at Radio Joy Africa on UN history and peacekeeping, with winners being awarded trophies and footballs. In other schools in the county, lectures on UN peacekeeping were organized, while a parade through the streets of Kakata followed by a town hall meeting got the whole community involved.

There are currently 8,370 UN Peacekeepers serving in Liberia, including 6,866 uniformed personnel.