Meet Major General Anita Asmah, the Ghanaian woman leading the UN Force

A number of Ghanaian women put Ghana on the highest pedestal by chalking unprecedented feats in the year 2024.

One of such women is Major General Anita Asmah, a senior officer of Ghana’s military, the Ghana Armed Forces.

Major General Anita Asmah was appointed the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in December 2024.

Her appointment, which was announced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on December 11, 2024, makes her the first Ghanaian and African woman, for that matter, to lead the UN Force.

Until her appointment, Major General Asmah was the acting UN Force Commander, a position she held for three months (July to November 2022). She previously served as Deputy Force Commander of UNDOF from 2021 to 2023.

She previously served as the Director General of the Department of Defence Civilian Establishment in the Ghana Armed Forces.

She also served as a Staff Officer in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 2015 to 2016, and from 2012 to 2013.

The Major General was a Military Observer in the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) between 2003 and 2004.

In addition to her international experience, Major General Asmah has held several senior positions within the Ghana Armed Forces, including Director of Education, Deputy Military Secretary, and Course Director at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.

Major General Asmah, a proud alumna of Aburi Girls’ Senior High School, has over 31 years of leadership experience in the Ghana Armed Forces and UN Peacekeeping.

The general, who will be celebrating her 60th birthday in February 2025, holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Ghana and is fluent in English and French.

After her appointment as the head of the UN Force, Asmah expressed her excitement and readiness for this groundbreaking role, saying, “I’m up to the task.”

BAI/OGB

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