Squadron Leader Nishadi Pieris has become the first lady officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) to be awarded the prestigious United Nations Peacekeepers’ Medal as a Military Observer.
The UN Peacekeepers’ Medal Awarding Parade for military Observers deployed in the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO) was held with the participation of Special Representative for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO Alexander Ivanko and Force Commander Major General Md Fakhrul Ahsan. A total of 19 UNMOs from 17 countries were recognized for their service to peace whilst on deployment to MINURSO.
Notably, for the first time in history, a lady officer of SLAF, Squadron Leader Nishadi Pieris, was awarded the prestigious UN Medal as a Military Observer, in recognition of her dedication to the global effort for peace, Sri Lanka Air Force said in a statement. She was deployed to the mission on 28 June 2024, making a significant milestone in the SLAF.
The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara was established by the United Nations Security Council in 1991 through Resolution 690, following a ceasefire agreement between Morocco and the Polisario Front, the liberation movement seeking independence for Western Sahara.
