The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has dismissed as untrue recent claims about remuneration for soldiers on United Nations (UN) peacekeeping duties.
The $300 per day claims, according to the military, is a “deliberate attempt to incite personnel against the military high command.”
The Acting Director-General of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, stated during a press conference that the UN pays an average of $46 per day to troop-contributing countries, amounting to about $1,428 per month per soldier, figures which she said are verifiable online.
She said that out of the $46 per day, the government pays $35 directly to the soldier, while the remaining $11 is used to support troop welfare and mission-related logistics.
“These funds go into several areas, including pre-operational training, logistics support, welfare provisions in the mission area such as internet services, and morale-boosting activities,” she said.
Before deployment, troops undergo six weeks of pre-operational training at Bundase, which requires significant logistical and financial investment. She added that additional support is provided during festive seasons, including Christmas programmes for battalions on mission, all funded by the government.
She further disclosed that delegations are periodically sent from Ghana to mission areas to boost morale, assess conditions on the ground, and assure personnel that the command is closely monitoring their welfare and performance.
“These monies and more are what the remaining $11 is used for. Beyond that, the government adds extra funding to ensure the safety, welfare and comfort of our troops before, during and after missions,” she explained.
She called for the rejection of misleading stories which seek to undermine the Ghana Armed Forces.
When the integrity of the military is put on the line through such mischievous stories, national security is undermined and therefore the whole country, she added.