GAF clears air on Lebanon mission, confirms troop safety and welfare

Nii Ayitey Brown 14:40 - 25 January 2026

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) denies claims that Ghanaian peacekeepers in Lebanon are exploited, clarifying shopping and airfare arrangements and assuring troop safety and welfare.

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has moved to clarify recent media reports suggesting that Ghanaian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are being exploited.

In a statement issued by Captain (Ghana Navy) Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director General of Public Relations at GAF, the military said the claims, which suggested that troops were banned from shopping outside their camps and were forced to pay for their own airfare home, were inaccurate.

Ghanaian peacekeepers, collectively known as GHANBATT, operate along the tense Blue Line, patrolling volatile border areas, liaising with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and supporting local communities through humanitarian initiatives.

These missions are often challenging and sometimes dangerous, requiring vigilance amid sporadic hostilities. Despite the risks, Ghana continues to rotate its battalions regularly, maintains gender-inclusive deployments, and ensures its personnel receive the resources needed to carry out their duties

The publication indicated that troops have been banned from shopping outside the Camps of the Ghanaian Battalion (GHANBATT). It also indicated that troops were made to pay for their own airfare during their leave to Ghana,

the statement read.Captain Arhin explained that restrictions on movement outside the camp are security-driven, reflecting the volatile situation in south Lebanon, and not an attempt to restrict soldiers’ freedoms.

UNIFIL Force Headquarters has facilitated the establishment of Eleven (11) shops manned by local Lebanese within Two (2) GHANBATT locations, with just One (1) Post Exchange shop operated by the Battalion. Many other Battalions in UNIFIL also have the same arrangement. This offers troops the option to purchase from a number of shops and not the Post Exchange shop only as has been reported,

the press release stated.Regarding the allegation that peacekeepers were made to cover their own travel expenses, GAF stressed that the government fully funds air travel for all Ghanaian personnel serving with UNIFIL.

On the allegation of troops paying for their own airfare during leave to Ghana, the story is untrue as the Government of Ghana continues to fully fund troops airfare for all Ghana Armed Forces peacekeepers including those serving with UNIFIL,

the statement added.The Ghana Armed Forces also cautioned that misinformation could “undermine discipline and morale of troops and could further tarnish the image of the country as a whole.”

It appealed to media practitioners to verify facts before publication, underscoring the importance of accurate reporting when it comes to national security and the welfare of troops serving abroad.

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