UN Secretary-General to honour two peacekeepers with the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage.
NEW YORK, 28 May 2026 - The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will award the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage to the late Sergii Prykhodko of Ukraine and Sergeant Matias Reyes of Uruguay during the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers commemorations at UN Headquarters in New York on 5 June 2026.
The award was established in 2014 to recognize military, police and civilian personnel who demonstrate exceptional courage in the line of duty. The Medal is named in honor of Captain Mbaye Diagne of Senegal who, in 1994, sacrificed his life in Rwanda while saving countless others. The Medal has only been awarded three times previously.
Sergii Prykhodko of Ukraine was a private contractor with a helicopter crew who served in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). In March 2025, Mr. Prykhodko volunteered to take the place of a less experienced colleague during a high-risk air evacuation to extract a group of besieged soldiers in the Upper Nile State. Tragically, Mr. Prykhodko lost his life, and two crewmates were injured when their helicopter came under fire during the mission – which had received assurance of safe passage. His actions and willingness to place himself in front of danger to carry out the mission helped save lives amid escalating violence in the area. His family, including his daughter, is expected to receive the Medal on his behalf.
Sergeant Matias Reyes of Uruguay was stationed in Goma with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in January 2025 when he witnessed fierce clashes between the Congolese Armed Forces and the Mouvement Du 23 Mars (M23) armed group. While helping to secure the entrance of the MONUSCO base, Sgt. Reyes repeatedly braved heavy fire and rescued wounded Congolese soldiers who were attempting to seek refuge at the peacekeepers base. Despite the obvious risks, he helped carry 12 gravely wounded soldiers back to the temporary medical tent established by UN peacekeepers, going above and beyond the call of duty and saving these lives in the process. A representative of the Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the United Nations is expected to receive the Medal on behalf of Sgt. Reyes, who is still serving under the blue flag in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In his message marking the day, Secretary-General António Guterres reminded that “no one should die serving the cause of peace. Attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law, and Member States must uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel at all times.”
Schedule of events at UN Headquarters on 5 June
09:45 a.m.: The Secretary-General will lay a wreath in honour of fallen peacekeepers at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site on the North Lawn. (If there is inclement weather, the ceremony will be held near the Chagall window in the Visitors’ Lobby). While UN Photo and UN TV will cover the ceremony, members of the UN press corps are invited. It will not be webcast live, but will be available on demand shortly afterwards: https://webtv.un.org/en
10:00 a.m.: The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage, UN Woman Police Officer of the Year and UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year ceremonies will be held in the ECOSOC Council Chamber and shown live on UN Webcast: https://webtv.un.org/en
12:00 p.m.: Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix will be the guest at the noon briefing. It will be webcast live on https://webtv.un.org/en
Media contacts
Department of Global Communications - Doug Coffman - coffmand@un.org +1 917 361 9923
Department of Peace Operations - Sophie Boudre boudre@un.org +1 917 691 5359
For more information, please visit: https://www.un.org/en/observances/peacekeepers-day