“I accept it with deep appreciation, filled with gratitude and humility.” These were the first words of MONUSCO Sergeant Matias Reyes, who received the Mbaye Diagne Medal on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Established by the United Nations to recognize military personnel, police officers, and civilian staff who demonstrate exceptional courage in the performance of their duties, the award was presented this year to a peacekeeper who displayed remarkable bravery in January 2025 while rescuing wounded Congolese soldiers seeking refuge at a MONUSCO base.
Serving in Goma, Sergeant Matias Reyes was not present in New York to receive the medal personally from the United Nations Secretary-General. Instead, he was represented by a fellow Uruguayan from Uruguay’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
“For any Uruguayan soldier involved in peacekeeping operations, receiving such recognition is an extraordinary honor and a source of pride in fulfilling our mission,” the recipient said a few hours before the ceremony.
Silence, then chaos...
The events for which Sergeant Reyes was honored date back to January 2025. The Uruguayan peacekeeper witnessed intense fighting between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the armed group March 23 Movement (M23).
A member of the 14th Parachute Infantry Battalion and Uruguay’s Special Operations Forces, Sergeant Reyes had acquired extensive experience through specialized training in counterterrorism, parachuting, commando operations, and tactical combat swimming. Yet on January 27, 2025, it was above all his sense of humanity that guided his actions.
Sergeant Matias Reyes, from Uruguay, will receive the United Nations Mbaye Diagne Medal on June 5.
He recalls a moment of silence. Then, “a few minutes later, chaos began.”
“There was a lot of noise from gunfire and vehicles,” Sergeant Reyes remembers.
At the time, fierce clashes were taking place between the FARDC and M23 fighters attempting to seize control of the city of Goma.
Given the intensity of the fighting, the battalion’s defense plan was immediately activated. Peacekeepers took up positions to secure the UN base and assist anyone in need.
Soon, wounded and disarmed Congolese soldiers began arriving at the MONUSCO base where Sergeant Reyes and his comrades were deployed.
“We made sure they were protected and provided them with first aid. Three medical aid stations were set up inside the base to care for the wounded, while other peacekeepers distributed water and tried to reassure soldiers traumatized by the fighting,” the newly decorated soldier explained.
Outside, the fighting intensified, making rescue efforts increasingly dangerous. Under the direction of the unit’s command and various levels of Force leadership, a plan was implemented. Taking advantage of brief lulls in the gunfire, peacekeepers gradually evacuated Congolese soldiers and moved them to safety.
“The situation quickly became more complicated when several soldiers became trapped in barbed wire and artillery fire, mainly mortar attacks, intensified. We decided to conduct evacuations during every lull in the fighting. Although it was a risky decision, we carefully evacuated them to safety,” Sergeant Reyes recalled.
“We simply did our duty”
Demonstrating initiative, determination, and a profound sense of duty, Sergeant Reyes carried 12 severely wounded Congolese soldiers on his shoulders and evacuated them to safety inside the base, exposing himself directly to enemy fire.
Yet he takes no personal pride in his actions.
We simply fulfilled our duty and commitment. Being a peacekeeper means standing beside people in danger and supporting those who need help, even in the most difficult moments
He emphasized the collective effort required for the operation: “Teamwork was fundamental. No individual action alone can accomplish a task of such magnitude. I needed logistical support, such as that provided by the kitchen team, which worked tirelessly to ensure we were properly supplied, as well as the communications team, which operated around the clock to keep radios and batteries functioning, ensuring communications throughout the base. Most importantly, there was teamwork with my comrades, superiors and subordinates alike, who remained by my side at all times, giving me the security and confidence necessary to act and operate in a way that allowed us to bring these people to safety.”
While receiving the Mbaye Diagne Medal, Sergeant Reyes also remembered the gratitude in the eyes of the Congolese soldiers who had been rescued: “The word we heard most often was ‘thank you.’”
Exceptional courage
During the same ceremony on June 5, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also awarded the Mbaye Diagne Medal posthumously to Sergii Prykhodko of Ukraine.
In March 2025, Mr. Prykhodko, serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, volunteered to replace a less experienced colleague during a high-risk air evacuation mission aimed at extracting a group of besieged soldiers in Upper Nile State. Tragically, Mr. Prykhodko lost his life and two crew members were injured when their helicopter came under fire during the mission.
Although their circumstances were very different, both recipients demonstrated the same extraordinary courage.
Like them, thousands of men and women show courage every day in the face of adversity—sometimes at the risk of their own lives—to help those in danger.
Today, Sergeant Reyes sends a message of solidarity to the Congolese people, particularly the residents of Goma, reminding them that the Uruguayan Army remains committed to serving, supporting, and assisting people in need with compassion and a strong sense of duty, without seeking recognition or rewards.
By Aline Kataliko
