By CECILIA OLOGUNAGBA

No fewer than 696 Ghanaian peacekeepers have received UN medals for their outstanding service while serving at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

UNIMISS, in a statement, stated that 594 of the 696 peacekeepers are male while 102 are female.

“Whoever will see this medal will know that we made a contribution to building lives and peace in South Sudan,” Captain Emmanuel Abugri said.

The Ghanaian troops, who arrived in the U.S. in July 2021, have surely had ample opportunities to prove their undisputed worth, not least during the worst floods the region had experienced over the last 60 years.

Apart from their traditional protection of civilians duties, the contingent had often worked in tandem with Pakistani engineering colleagues by ensuring their safety while essential infrastructure maintenance work had been conducted.

Their combined efforts saved the Rubkhona airstrip, a lifeline for the state capital Bentiu, and thousands of civilians from being submerged in water.

“I am proud of my work as chief logistics officer of the Ghanaian Battalion,” Major Georgina Asabea Asare said.

“Ensuring that we are present where and when needed through the timely and effective deployment of personnel and equipment is key when it comes to protecting civilians.”

Always keen to build bridges with host communities in South Sudan, the Ghanaian peacekeepers had also undertaken several capacity buildings and vocational trainings on skills ranging from computer literacy to tailoring, thus greatly improving the likelihood of participants becoming gainfully employed.

“Your diversified outreach activities have had a significant impact on the local community and to the peacekeeping mission as well.

“The extensive medical services and donations of essential medical supplies that you have provided have also gone a long way to assist those in need,’’ Major General Main Ullah Chowdhury, the UNMISS Acting Force Commander, said.

“It is certainly challenging, but it is also exciting to work with and for the people of South Sudan,” 25-year-old Aircraftman Class I Irene Larbi, the youngest of the medalists, said.

“This is my first time to serve in a UN peacekeeping mission. This medal means a lot, it is a big source of motivation to me.”

Hiroko Hirahara, Head of the peacekeeping mission’s Field Office in Bentiu, heaped more praise over the West African contingent.

“They are well known for their proactiveness and braveness. We are very lucky to have them here with us,” she said. (NAN)