Dominic Nitiwul
Two Ghanaian peacekeepers who lost their lives while on duty have been honoured at this year’s International Day of United Nation (UN) Peacekeeper held in Accra on May 29, 2019.
The deceased peacekeepers – Frank Sammy Kwofie, who served as Deputy Commissioner of Police at the UN African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and Corporal Mercy Adade, who served with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) – died on October 15, 2018, and April 5, 2018, respectively.
As part of activities to mark the day, a minute of silence was observed in honour of about 3,800 persons who had died on peacekeeping missions since its inception in 1948, while a flag was raised to recognise the contribution of civilians and security personnel who had worked in peacekeeping operations.
Wreaths were also laid on behalf of the government, UN, security agencies and relatives of fallen heroes.
Meanwhile, the UN General Secretary, António Guterres, on Friday May 24, 2019, posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold medal to the two Ghanaian peacekeepers who were among the 110 peacekeepers that perished while serving in 2018.
This year’s celebration was themed: “Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace”. It was premised on the 20th anniversary of the Security Council to first mandate a peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone to protect civilians.
This happened through the adoption of United Nations (UN) Security Council 1265 on September 17, 1999, which sought to curb the high rate of civilian casualties mostly involving women, children, refugees and internally displaced persons that were targeted as warring parties.
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, urged Ghanaians to be inspired by the commitment of Ghanaian forces to promote peace outside the country by jealously guarding the peace that prevails in the country.
He also expressed his condolence on behalf of the state to relatives of peacekeepers who had lost their lives while on duty.
The WHO Country Director, Dr Owen Kaluwa, in his address, said that upholding the mandate of protecting civilians often put peacekeepers out of harm’s way.
“Since 1948 when the first UN Peacekeeping was established, more than 3,800 peacekeepers have lost their lives serving under the UN flag. Last year, we lost 98 peacekeepers including two Ghanaians,” he disclosed.
He commended the country for its enormous support to the UN where Ghana is ranked as the ninth largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping with nearly 2,800 personnel made up of police and military.
By Issah Mohammed