'Freedom is not free... Sometimes, we pay the ultimate price - Tribute to Maj Gen Francis Vib-Sanziri

On Friday 28th June 2019, the mortal remains of Maj Gen Francis Vib-Sanziri were laid to rest at the Military Cemetery, Burma Camp, Accra.

The 62-year-old General died while serving as the Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), Golan, Syria.
Funeral Service

His burial service at the St Catherine’s Catholic Church, Burma Camp was attended by the President, former Presidents, the top hierarchy of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police where his widow Mrs Beatrice Vib-Sanziri, is a Commissioner of Police (COP), sister security services as well as the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, UN Headquarters, New York.

Having worked closely with Francis in the Ghana Military Academy some twenty years ago, the sudden death of this fine officer and a gentleman hit me hard and brought back memories of the dangers we go through as peacekeepers.

Death of a young Peacekeeper

Many years ago, while serving with the United Nations as a peacekeeper, my unit was deployed to reinforce a battalion which was under attack. In the course of the operations, an eighteen- year- old private soldier from my reinforcement unit was killed in action (KIA). At a memorial service held before his mortal remains were flown back to his country, the Chaplain from the soldier’s country, chose for his sermon the topic “FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!” He added that “Freedom” and “Peace” could be used interchangeably; hence “Peace is not free.”

Freedom/Peace is not free

He stated that, the job of a peacekeeper was, and still is a very difficult one, little understood by many people in Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs). He continued that soldiers travel thousands of miles to war torn countries sometimes on different continents to help restore law and order, and in the process the freedom/peace for victims.

Nothing good comes free

He preached that, “freedom is not free. There is always a price to pay for freedom. Sometimes we peacekeepers pay the ultimate price with our lives, as our fallen colleague has done.” Indeed, nothing good comes free in life, he said. He opined that, our presence in that country was itself testimony to the fact that, peace is not free and does not come freely.

Even though this event happened some thirty-five years ago, it still remains fresh in my mind as if it happened only yesterday.

My “Baptism of Fire”

Indeed, it reminded me of my own experience as a young peacekeeper on my first peacekeeping operation in 1975. Following a misunderstanding between me and a soldier of the host nation, two quick shots he aimed at my head and fired, whistled passed my ears as providentially, I unconsciously turned my head. I survived this “baptism of fire” and lived to tell my story.

Ben Dotse Mallor

On a TV programme soon after the General’s death, Ghanaian ace broadcaster Ben Dotse Mallor of BBC fame and currently working with the United Nations, described him as “my volleyball captain in the University of Ghana and a highly disciplined soldier!”
Ghanaian Troops Killed

It may surprise some Ghanaians to learn that as at 30th June 2019, apart from very populous Troop Contributing Countries like India, Pakistan, Bangla Desh and Nigeria, tiny Ghana ranked fifth behind them, with one hundred and forty (140) casualties on the table of troops killed during peacekeeping operations since it started.

Conclusion

Ironically, short of war, Peace Support Operations have exacted the highest number of casualties on soldiers.

Maj Gen Francis Vib-Sanziri is the latest of the 140 Ghanaian soldiers among a worldwide total of almost four thousand peacekeepers, who have paid the ultimate price since the inception of UN peace Support Operations in 1948, and since Ghana started peacekeeping in Congo in 1960.

May the soul of Maj Gen Francis Vib-Sanziri, and all other departed peacekeepers Rest in Peace!

As the Chaplain said, “Freedom is not free. Sometimes, we pay the ultimate price” so that others may live in freedom and peace, in the face of social injustice.

The writer is fomer CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA), Nairobi, Kenya
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