Late Captain Abdelrazakh Hamit Bahar of Tchad awarded the Captain Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage.

When Captain Abdelrazakh Hamit Bahar announced to his family in early 2005 that he had found his calling to serve his country, no one was surprised. The young man had always dreamt of joining the Chad National Army, inspired by those around him, including his uncle, a seasoned military personnel.

In the Bahar Haggar family, career paths may have been diverse, but the golden rule was excellence. It ook a few years of convincing, but Captain Abdelrazakh's father eventually agreed to let him join the military, provided he made it into Chad's best military school.

After he graduated with honours and successfully completed a wide array of specialized training, ranging from parachuting to tactical skills and intelligence gathering, Captain Abdelrazakh felt the need to fulfill his passion for helping others. In 2014 he decided to join MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali.

'Growing up, I knew my brother was going to join the military, but his real calling was to help others. He was a kind and giving man. He used to organize tournaments for the young people in the neighbourhood and would give out prizes to winners and losers alike,' his brother Hamid Bahar Ahmat fondly recalls.

On Thursday, 26 May, the Bahar family will receive the highest award in UN peacekeeping, the 'Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage', on behalf of Captain Abdelrazakh Hamit Bahar. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be presenting the award posthumously at a solemn ceremony in New York to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Just 14 months ago on 2 April 2021, a group of heavily armed terrorists attacked the Aguelhok Super Camp in north-east Mali with a barrage of rockets at sunrise, where Captain Abdelrazakh was one among the 350 peacekeepers stationed there to protect the population.

Without hesitation, the Captain launched a counter-offensive on the two dozen assailants, who subsequently stormed through the base fence on jeeps and motorbikes, just minutes later.

While the fire-fight ensued, Captain Abdelrazakh saw some terrorists entering a home nearby.

To protect civilians from the local community living near the camp, he single-handedly led an operation to clear the house.

In doing so, Captain Abdelrazakh was shot and killed. But not before the peacekeepers had inflicted heavy losses on the fleeing terrorists and saved many lives in the process.

Among Captain Abdelrazakh's brothers-in-arms was his commander, Lieutenant-Colonel...