NEW YORK — On 5 June 2026, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will award the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage to two peacekeepers—Sergii Prykhodko of Ukraine, posthumously, and Sergeant Matias Reyes of Uruguay—for acts of bravery in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2025. The ceremony will be held at UN Headquarters from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST and broadcast live on UN Web TV.
Prykhodko, a Ukrainian private contractor serving with a helicopter crew in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), volunteered in March 2025 to replace a less experienced colleague during a high-risk air evacuation in Upper Nile State. He was killed and two crewmates were injured when their helicopter came under fire despite having received assurances of safe passage. His actions helped save lives during escalating violence in the region.
Sergeant Matias Reyes of Uruguay was stationed in Goma with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in January 2025 when fierce clashes erupted between the Congolese Armed Forces and the M23 armed group. While securing the entrance of the MONUSCO base, Reyes repeatedly braved heavy fire to rescue wounded Congolese soldiers seeking refuge. He helped carry 12 gravely wounded soldiers to a temporary medical tent established by UN troops. Reyes continues to serve under the UN flag in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a representative of the Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the United Nations is expected to receive the medal on his behalf.
Guterres described UN peacekeeping as “a proven and cost-effective tool for stabilising conflict situations, protecting civilians and supporting political solutions.” He stated that attacks against peacekeepers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and warned that reduced resources risk undermining peacekeeping effectiveness as conflicts become more complex and protracted. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said: “United Nations peacekeepers continue to protect civilians, prevent violence from escalating and keep hope alive in some of the world’s most difficult environments.” He added that investing in peacekeeping is ultimately an investment in stability and the possibility of lasting peace.
The Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage is UN Peacekeeping’s highest award. Nearly 4,500 peacekeepers have died since 1948, including 59 over the past year. More than 50,000 civilian, military and police personnel currently serve under the UN flag across 11 missions, engaged in ceasefire monitoring, humanitarian assistance, landmine clearance, and civilian protection. The 2026 International Day of UN Peacekeepers, observed annually on 29 May, carries the theme “Invest in Peace.”