Kofi Ampeah Woode
After serving eight (8) months in South Sudan, six hundred and ninety-nine (699) All Ranks of the Ghana Battalion (GHANBATT 10) serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), led by their Commanding Officer (CO) – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Prince Eric Tandoh, have been honoured with the prestigious UN Peacekeepers’ Medals.
At a colourful Medals’ Parade held at the GHANBATT Headquarters in Bentiu, on Friday 28 April 2023, 130 All Ranks comprising 3 male contingents, an all-female contingent and the GHANBATT Band, performed rhythmically with precision and cohesion, to herald the awards.
In attendance at the ceremony was a highly-powered delegation from Ghana, led by the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCoS), Personnel Administration at the General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Michael Appiah-Agyekum.
Also present were the Force Commander (FC), UNMISS – Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Mohan Subramanian, who was the Reviewing Officer of the parade, the Commander, Sector Unity – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Emmanuel Rugazera, and the Acting Head of Field Office (HoFO) – Madam Jane Lanyero Kony.
After presenting the UN medals to the troops, the FC who said he was honoured to present the UN medals to “one of his best battalions in the force”, extolled the determination of the GHANBATT 10, who defied the threat of torrential rains to see through the parade, and said it spoke volumes of GHANBATT’s professionalism and tenacity against all odds, lauding the CO for his exemplary leadership.
The Acting HoFO, in her address said that GHANBATT has endeared itself and has won the hearts and minds of the people of Unity State, especially through its donation of stationery items to schools within Bentiu and Rubkona, as well as the veterinary outreach programmes that provided treatment to more than 16,000 livestock across Bentiu, Koch and Leer.
The Acting HoFO also cited the GHANBATT’s swift and robust response during the major dike breach that nearly resulted in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and UNMISS Bentiu Camps being washed away on the dawn of 9 October 2022, saying those events will never be forgotten.
The Acting HoFO further lauded GHANBATT for going beyond the UNMISS mandate to ensure the safety and security of civilians. She expressed the gratitude of the Bentiu Field Office to all GHANBATT personnel for their selfless dedication to duty and urged troops to wear their medals with pride, as they had earned the medals through their service and sacrifices.
It was also revealed during the medal presentation parade that for the first time, a GHANBATT had received citation from the Governor (the citation was presented to GHANBATT 10 in honour of its medal presentation ceremony), on behalf of the people of Unity State, in appreciation for all the support the Unit has provided the people over the period of its tour in Unity State.
