Ghana has renewed calls for credible investigations and sanctions following the March 2026 attack on a peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced.
Mr. Ablakwa made the remarks after participating in a ministerial session on peacekeeping reforms in Rabat on Thursday, May 21, at the invitation of the foreign ministers of Morocco and France.
The meeting, which brought together foreign ministers, United Nations officials, and peacekeeping experts, focused on the future of global peace operations amid declining financial support for missions.
It can be recalled that on March 6, the Ghanaian Battalion Headquarters serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under missile attack as a result of the tensions between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
From the attack, two Ghanaian soldiers sustained critical injuries, while another officer suffered psychological trauma. The strike also destroyed the camp’s Officers’ Mess, which was completely burnt down.
Mr. Ablakwa said participants issued a communique emphasising the urgent need to protect peace operations, particularly in support of vulnerable populations affected by conflict.
“I renewed Ghana’s demand for credible investigations and sanctions following the March attack of our peacekeepers in Lebanon,” he said.
The minister disclosed that he chaired the ministerial panel on peacekeeping training strategies and highlighted Ghana’s longstanding contributions to international peacekeeping efforts.
He also used the platform to celebrate Anita Asmah, describing her as Africa’s first female United Nations peacekeeping Head of Mission and Force Commander.
Mr. Ablakwa called for greater participation of women in peacekeeping operations, noting that female representation currently stands at about 10 percent globally.
“The current 10% female participation cannot be our best,” he stated.
As a member of the Governing Council of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, the minister praised the institution’s role in promoting professional, multicultural and gender-inclusive peacekeeping training.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s support for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 and pledged that Ghana would continue to maintain its reputation as one of the world’s top troop-contributing nations.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that Ghana’s peacekeeping tradition dates back to its first deployment in 1960.
“We remain absolutely proud of our blue berets and salute them for their extraordinary bravery in protecting the vulnerable across numerous theatres of conflict,” he said.
