Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has condemned the attack on Ghanaian peacekeepers serving in southern Lebanon, stressing that no country or group should be allowed to attack non-combatants with impunity.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said the assault on the Ghanaian contingent deployed under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was unacceptable and must be investigated by the United Nations.
“No country is allowed to behave with such impunity and set about attacking non-combatants, people who have not shown any aggression and who are in fact there to keep the peace,” he said.
His comments follow an attack on Ghanaian soldiers serving with the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon on March 6, which left two soldiers seriously injured.
According to Mr. Kwakye Ofosu, the work of Ghanaian troops under UN peacekeeping missions is internationally recognised and has been carried out for decades to help maintain peace and stability in conflict areas.
“They are people who are there to keep the peace and they have done this for decades. It is an internationally recognised activity that they are engaging in,” he noted.
He stressed that the peacekeeping operations do not pose any threat to groups or countries in the region, and therefore do not justify such attacks.
“The activities do not pose any threat whatsoever to anybody within the region to warrant such an attack,” he said.
The government spokesperson explained that Ghana had taken the matter seriously because its troops were directly affected, prompting the country to formally lodge a protest with the United Nations.
“As the country whose troops have been at the receiving end of this attack, we need to take it very seriously. That is why we have lodged this formal complaint,” he added.
Earlier, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced that the government had written to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, demanding a full, immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident.
Ghana has also called on the United Nations to ensure the safety and protection of all peacekeeping personnel serving under the mission while holding those responsible for the attack accountable.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com