Ghana welcomes home last UN contingent from Cote d’Ivoire
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have officially withdrawn its personnel who had been on a 10-year United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operation in Cote d’Ivoire.
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The move followed the successful completion of a road map to peace-building, dubbed ‘UN Operations in Cote d’Ivoire’ (UNOCI), an initiative for the restoration of political stability in the West African country, which started in 2006.
A parade dubbed: “Mission Accomplishment Parade”, was held on the premises of the Air Force Base in Accra yesterday, at which the 19th and last contingent, Ghana Aviation (GHAV 19), was officially welcomed back from the peacekeeping operation.
The last two aircraft — UNO471 and UNO475 — used by the military while on the mission were also presented to the management of the GAF.
Present to inspect the GHAV 19 contingent were the Director General of the International Peace Support Operation (IPSO), Brigadier Gen. Charles Kodjo A. A. Awity, and other high-profile officers of the GAF.
The Commander of UNOCI GHAV 19, Group Capt. Mensah J.L. Larkai, handed over the flags of Ghana and the UN to symbolically mark the successful folding up of the peacekeeping operation.
Commendation
Brigadier Gen. Awity lauded the effort made by members of the 19 contingents who ensured that peace returned to the neighbouring country.
In a solemn mood, he led the rank and file of the GAF present at the ceremony to observe a minute’s silence for the men in uniform who fell in the line of duty, eulogising them as international heroes.
“As we officially mark the withdrawal of the troops who were involved in the UNOCI over the past 10 years, we recognise the critical role you have played to enhance political stability and cross-border security.
“The GAF are deploying another contingent to Mali for a similar purpose, as we continue to hoist the flag of Ghana in our peacekeeping prowess,” he added.
Diligence
The Air Force Base Commander, Group Capt. Frederick Asare Beckoe, urged the members of the UNOCI GHAV 19 and other officers who took part in the peacekeeping exercise to bring the experiences they had gained home.
He also asked men in uniform to be disciplined and committed to the cause of defending the territorial integrity of the country.
Background
The first contingent of military personnel was deployed from the GAF to Cote d’Ivoire in 2006, two years after the UN Security Council had passed Resolution 1528 in 2004 for the establishment of the UNOCI, an initiative to restore peace in that country.
As part of Ghana’s commitment to international peacekeeping, personnel of the Ghana Army and the Ghana Air Force were sent to provide long-term air services and rapid response assistance for the vulnerable population in Cote d’Ivoire.
Humanitarian services such as medical assistance, education and health infrastructure were also provided as part of the 10-year mission by the troops.