The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that the government of Rwanda will soon begin the construction of a monument in Ghana to honour the role played by Ghanaian troops during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Speaking on TV3’s New Day on December 18, 2025, Ablakwa said the monument would be built at the Burma Camp in Accra as an enduring symbol of Rwanda’s gratitude to Ghana and its armed forces.

According to him, Rwanda has formally written to Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing its desire to establish the monument.

He said a committee has since been set up and a location selected to facilitate the project.

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“They don’t want us to contribute anything. They are going to use their own Rwandan taxpayer resources,” Ablakwa said.

He explained that the gesture is rooted in Ghana’s long-standing foreign policy values of compassion, solidarity and respect for human dignity, particularly reflected in the country’s peacekeeping record.

Ablakwa noted that Ghana has been widely celebrated by the United Nations for the gallantry of its armed forces, recalling that Ghana has remained one of the top UN troop-contributing countries since its first deployment to the Congo in 1960.

Highlighting Ghana’s role during the Rwandan genocide, the minister said Ghanaian troops stayed behind at a time when many international forces withdrew, saving lives and creating humanitarian corridors for aid.

“It was Ghanaian troops who stayed and saved lives when others left,” he said.

He added that Rwanda has consistently honoured Ghanaian commanders for their actions, including the late General Henry Kwami Anyidoho, who received Rwanda’s highest national award for his leadership during the UN mission.

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Ablakwa said the planned monument at Burma Camp is intended to serve as an eternal reminder of Ghana’s intervention and the lives saved through the courage and sacrifice of its peacekeepers.

“They say that if our troops didn’t come there on peacekeeping and didn’t stay, they don’t know if they would be alive today,” he stated.

Construction of the monument is expected to commence in the coming days.

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