Ghana has called on the United Nations to investigate missile strikes that hit its peacekeeping battalion in Lebanon.
According to the Ghana Armed Forces, the headquarters of Ghana’s UN peacekeeping battalion in Lebanon was struck by two missile attacks on Friday, March 6, leaving two soldiers critically injured and another traumatised. The attack also destroyed part of the base, with the military saying the Officers’ Mess facility was completely burnt down.
Ghanaian troops are deployed in Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which monitors the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and operates mainly in southern Lebanon.
Ghana has contributed troops to the mission since 1978, making it one of the longest-serving contributors to the peacekeeping operation.
The incident occurred amid escalating tensions in the region after the conflict expanded when the Lebanese group Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel earlier in the week. Since then, Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, have exchanged repeated strikes as the conflict spreads across the region.
Ghana has not identified who was responsible for the missile strikes but has formally protested the attack at UN headquarters in New York. The country is demanding an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident.
“Ghana strongly condemns this attack and has further demanded that those responsible be identified and held accountable,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “The attack constitutes a grave violation of international law, amounts to a war crime and affronts the protections afforded to United Nations peacekeeping personnel.”
The government also urged the United Nations to take steps to ensure the safety of Ghanaian troops and other peacekeepers serving under the mission.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Lebanon has caused significant civilian casualties. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 217 people have been killed in missile strikes across various cities and residential areas, with 798 others injured and an estimated 95,000 people displaced.
