* As the 17th largest contributor of peacekeepers to the United Nations with 761, including 83 women, now serving in five peacekeeping missions
* Protecting civilians, patrolling conflict zones, and supporting stabilisation efforts in high-risk missions
* I am endlessly inspired by the women and men who wear the UN Blue Helmet—UN Secretary-General António Guterres
By Duncan Mlanjira
The United Nations (UN) has highly recognised and honoured Malawi as the 17th largest contributor of its peacekeepers in countries under conflict.
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On its website, the UN highlights that Malawians account at 761, including 83 women, now serving in five peacekeeping missions.
“Malawi first contributed troops to United Nations peacekeeping in 1994, deploying peacekeepers to Rwanda,” says the report.
“Today, Malawian peacekeepers are deployed with the UN operations in Abyei, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, South Sudan and Western Sahara.
“Malawian peacekeepers protect civilians, patrol conflict zones, and support stabilisation efforts in high-risk missions.
“Many of them serve in the UN’s Force Intervention Brigade in the DR Congo,” says the UN, adding that a total of 31 peacekeepers from Malawi have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.
“We honour their memory. The UN is grateful to Malawi for the service and sacrifice of its peacekeepers in hot spots around the world. Thank you, Malawi!”
On May 29, 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres was quoted saying: “I am endlessly inspired by the women and men who wear the UN Blue Helmet. They are protectors of the vulnerable, and guardians of hope in places where hope is often in short supply.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The UN reports that in four of its peacekeeping missions around the world, over 750 military and police officers from Malawi are serving for peace, leaving their families to protect those most at risk.
“We thank these brave women and men for their service and sacrifice,” says the UN in the report under the theme; ‘UN Peacekeepers—Serving for peace, sacrificing for humanity’.
It highlights that since 1948 more than two million people have served as UN Peacekeepers in hotspots around the world, including more than 65,000 today.
“They provide security, stability and hope for a better future to war-affected communities. And they often do so at great personal risk and under very harsh conditions, leaving their families behind thousands of hundreds of miles away from their homelands.
“More than 4,400 peacekeepers have lost their lives serving under the UN flag. The United Nations does not have its own military or police force — it relies on individual UN Member States to contribute personnel to its peacekeeping operations.
“Today, UN peacekeepers hail from more than 100 troop and police contributing countries, but they are united in their goal to help provide security and stability to some of the most vulnerable people on earth.
“Collectively, they perform acts of courage and compassion every day. Beyond their regular mandated activities — such as protecting civilians and supporting peace processes — peacekeepers often carry out humanitarian efforts such as delivering free medical and veterinary care, providing access to water; supporting schools and orphanages; building roads and bridges and other key infrastructure which benefit communities and bring people together.
“The United Nations honours the service and sacrifice of all peacekeepers and commends the contributions from all the countries that provide our peacekeeping operations with military and police personnel.
“Their stories of service and sacrifice as well as courage and compassion are worth listening to,” says the report.
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