29 May 2015 -- Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and head of UNMISS Ellen Margrethe Loej today paid tribute to UNMISS colleagues who passed away in 2014 during a ceremony at the mission’s Juba headquarters to commemorate International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Fifteen UNMISS peacekeepers lost their lives in 2014, along with three Russian airmen under contract who died last August when their helicopter was brought down by ground fire near the Unity State capital Bentiu.

“The loss of these colleagues is a sobering reminder of the many risks facing UN peacekeepers as they go about their duties under extremely difficult conditions,” said SRSG Loej after reading out Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message for the Day.

This year’s peacekeeper' day was celebrated under the theme “UN70 and UN peacekeeping: Past, Present and Future”, a reference to the 70th anniversary of the organization’s founding that will be observed later this year.

Ms. Loej also saluted the contribution made by UNMISS colleagues to save lives and promote accountability in South Sudan, ranging from protection of civilians and investigation of human rights abuses to facilitation of the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

“The mission is especially engaged in areas where civilians are most affected by conflict,” said the SRSG, noting that UNMISS was currently sheltering approximately 130,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in its facilities nationwide.

Nine of those IDPs died inside the protection-of-civilians site at the UNMISS base in Melut, Upper Nile State, earlier this month during an exchange of fire between the warring parties.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Michael Makuei Lueth, representing the South Sudanese government, expressed condolences on behalf of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the government to families of fallen peacekeepers.