Four Ghanaian peacekeepers were injured when their base was hit on Friday. Luckily, all of them are now stable and getting better.
Ghana has asked the Commonwealth of Nations to strongly condemn a missile attack that injured four of its soldiers serving in southern Lebanon.
The appeal came from Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during a meeting of Commonwealth officials in London on Sunday. He said the strike on the peacekeepers was not only an attack on Ghanaian troops but also a blow to the values that guide the United Nations.
“This is an attack on every principle that the UN Charter exists to defend,” Ablakwa told the gathering.
The Ghanaian soldiers were part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a peacekeeping mission that monitors tensions along the border area. Their base was hit by a missile on Friday shortly before 18:00 local time.
Ghana’s army later confirmed that the four injured soldiers are in stable condition and receiving treatment.
Videos shared on social media showed damage to buildings and flames at facilities used by the Ghanaian battalion. The attack has raised concerns about the safety of peacekeepers working in the conflict zone.
The strike happened at a time of rising tension between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. Israel has been carrying out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after the group said it fired rockets and drones toward the Israeli city of Haifa. Hezbollah said the attack was in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
While addressing Commonwealth members, Ablakwa did not say who was behind the missile that hit the peacekeepers. However, he called for a full investigation and strong international response.
“We urge the Commonwealth to roundly condemn this attack and demand immediate investigations,” he said.
Ghana has also filed an official protest with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres. Guterres has already said that those responsible for the strike must be identified and held accountable.