Dr Bawumia commends Ghanaian Peacekeepers in Lebanon

The Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has commended the officers, men and women of the Ghanaian battalion currently attached to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), GHANBATT 85, for proudly flying the Ghana flag in the discharge of their duties.

Addressing a durbar of all ranks of the contingent at their operational headquarters at Al-Qawzah, Lebanon last Wednesday, Dr Bawumia urged members of the contingent not to rest on their oars but continue to maintain the high standards of discipline which had earned them commendation from all the stakeholders.

Vice-President  Bawumia was in Lebanon to witness the award of United Nations Medals to Ghana’s contingent attached to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

GHANBATT 85

The 850 officers and men of the GHANBATT 85, under the direct command of Lt Col. Fiifi Deegbe, have been deployed with UNIFIL for the past five months, and have been engaged in promoting peace and security in the troubled Middle Eastern country, especially on its southern border with Israel.

“I congratulate the commanding officer, officers, men and women of UNIFIL GHANBATT 85, on the impressive performance over the period. Your performance is a true reflection of the high standard of professionalism, diligence and discipline of all Ghanaian soldiers.”  

“From the briefings we have been given, I am pleased to note that your effective and continuous domination of GHANBATT 85 Area of Responsibility as well as timely reaction to incidents have been highly commended by key stakeholders, notable among them, the Sector West Commander and indeed the UNIFIL Force Commander,  Vice-President Bawumia stated.

He further commended the Contingent Commander, Colonel Robert Ayi, who is also the Chief Military Personnel Officer (CMPO) at the UNIFIL Headquarters for his guidance to the battalion.

Assurance

Vice-President Bawumia assured the peacekeepers that government  would continue to provide logistical and other support to the troops, not just in Lebanon, but in other peacekeeping theatres as well as the entire Ghana Armed Forces.

“I wish to emphasise that Ghana, as a nation, must give our contingent the best support we can in return for the sacrifices that they make on a daily basis in all international peacekeeping operations.  In this regard, the government will ensure that you have the resources to match your commitments”, Vice-President Bawumia stated.

Medals

In a related development, the Sector West Commander of UNIFIL, Major General Stefano Del Col, assisted by Vice-President Bawumia, on Thursday, pinned medals on the troops of GHANBATT 85 at a colourful ceremony at the battalion headquarters at Al-Qawzah, Lebanon, on the occasion of the UNIFIL Medal Day.