The Ghanaian government has provided an updated picture of the condition of its soldiers wounded in Friday’s missile attack on a peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon, confirming that one serviceman has undergone surgery in Beirut after sustaining serious injuries while four others with minor wounds are recovering well.
Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi, in an update posted on social media on Saturday, March 7, said the soldier who suffered serious injuries to both legs and the hip had been evacuated to Beirut where he underwent surgery. “He is stable and recuperating,” Genfi said. The four soldiers who sustained minor injuries during the attack are also in stable condition and on the road to recovery.
Genfi added that a fire that broke out at the soldiers’ accommodation during the incident destroyed the personal belongings of 15 officers.
The troops were serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the peacekeeping mission mandated to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and support stability along the border. Ghana has lodged a formal protest with the United Nations, demanding an investigation and calling on all parties to the conflict to respect the safety and operational integrity of peacekeeping personnel.
The update also revealed an early show of international solidarity. Genfi disclosed that France’s Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, Alice Rufo, contacted Ghanaian authorities following the attack to express solidarity. France has also raised the matter with United Nations officials, given that French peacekeepers serve under the same UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon.
Ghana said it welcomed France’s support and reiterated that steps are being taken to ensure the continued protection of its contingent operating under the United Nations flag.
