Troops Celebrate UN Peacekeeping Day In Freetown

Ghanaian troops serving with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone(UNAMSIL)joined other contingents in celebrating the first UN Peacekeeping Day at a colourful parade in Freetown on May 29, 2003
Troops from Ghana and Nigeria had the privilege to form the Guard of Honour which was inspected by the Vice President of Sierra Leone-His Excellenct Solomon Berewah.
Particpitaing in the parade were troops and police officers from all countries serving with UNAMSIL and also from the new Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces as well as other security agencies and UNAMSIL civilian staff.
In a tug of war which climaxed the celebration, a combined unit of Ghanaian and Nigerian troops beat their Sierra Leonean counterparts.
Speaking at the parade, Vice-President Berewah paid special tribute to the United Nations for helping to restore peace and democracy in his country, adding that Sierra Leoneans will forever be grateful to ECOMOG and UNAMSIL.
The Commander of the Ghanaian Contingent in Sierra Leone, Colonel Mike Amuzu, reflecting on Ghana's participation in UN peacekeeping said that "the Ghana Armed Forces has always felt obliged to make its input in UN peacekeeping in consonance with the internationalist policy of Ghana since independence".
Colonel Amuzu said he was proud of the contribution of Ghanaian troops since the ECOMOG days to the peace process in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The Nigerian Commander of Sector West of UNAMSIL, Brigardier General Steve Guar, also commnended UN pacekeepers in Sierra Leone and all over the world, and said that Nigeria was ever prepared to be counted among peacekeepers.
In a radio interview on Radio UNAMSIL, Ghana's High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Kabral Blay-Amihere pledged the commitment of the Government and people of Ghana to peace in Africa.
He said the President of Ghana, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor was fully committed to peace, stability and good neigbourhoodliness in the sub-region and will use his chairmanship of ECOWAS to promote peace in all troubled spots in West Africa.
Ambassador Blay-Amihere said the role of Ghanaian soldiers and police officers since the Congo in the 60s to date was very exemplary and urged Ghanaian troops in Sierra Leone to continue to excell.