Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul has revealed that the Ghana Armed Forces is being queried by the United Nations (UN) over an incident involving a Ghanaian soldier on peacekeeping mission in Liberia twelve years ago.
According to him, the soldier reportedly had sex with a minor.
The Minister who’s also the Member of Parliament for Bimbila addressing soldiers in Brong Ahafo during a one-day visit, stated that it’s against the UN rules for soldiers on peacekeeping missions to engage in sexual activities of citizens they’ve been engaged to protect.
Hon. Nitiwul also warned the soldiers against having sex with themselves while on peacekeeping duties.
This incident is a dent on the image of Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) as it’s respected internationally with regards to peacekeeping due to the disciplined nature of its officers and men.
Personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and Ghana Police Service (GPS) have served as UN peacekeepers since the early 1960s.
Since their first participation in the UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC), over 80,000 Ghanaian military, police and civilian personnel have served in various capacities in more than 30 UN missions.
Ghana has been a top ten contributor for more than two decades. As at 30 September 2015, Ghana ranked eighth, with a total number of 3,247 peacekeepers, comprising 353 police officers, 2,820 troops and 74 military experts.
