The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has rejected media reports suggesting that Ghanaian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are being exploited.
In a statement signed by the Acting Director General of Public Relations, Captain (Ghana Navy) Veronica Adzo Arhin, the military explained that claims that troops have been barred from shopping outside their camp and made to pay for their own airfare during leave to Ghana are inaccurate.
According to GAF, restrictions on movement outside the camp are due to the volatile security situation within UNIFIL’s area of operations and are intended to protect personnel, not to subject them to unfair treatment.
To ease the impact of these restrictions, UNIFIL Force Headquarters has supported the setting up of 11 shops operated by local Lebanese vendors within two Ghana Battalion (GHANBATT) locations, alongside a Post Exchange shop managed by the battalion.
The military stressed that these measures are aimed at ensuring the safety and welfare of Ghanaian peacekeepers while they carry out their duties.
“This arrangement gives troops several options to purchase items and not rely solely on the Post Exchange shop, contrary to what has been reported,” the statement said.
On the issue of leave travel, the Armed Forces stressed that Ghanaian peacekeepers are not required to pay for their own airfare.
“The allegation that troops pay for their own airfare during leave to Ghana is untrue,” Captain Arhin stated, adding that the Government of Ghana continues to fully fund air travel for all Ghana Armed Forces peacekeepers, including those serving with UNIFIL.
GAF warned that the spread of such misinformation has serious consequences for troop welfare and national reputation. “Such misinformation undermines the discipline and morale of troops and could further tarnish the image of the country,” the statement noted.
The Armed Forces, therefore, appealed to media practitioners to verify information thoroughly before publication, especially on sensitive national security and peacekeeping matters.
Ghana has contributed troops to UN peacekeeping missions for decades and remains one of the leading troop-contributing countries in Africa, with personnel deployed in several conflict and post-conflict zones around the world.
