The monuments would serve as a lasting reminder of the need to reject hatred and division
Ghana and Rwanda have jointly unveiled two permanent monuments at Burma Camp in Accra to honour victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the heroic role played by Ghanaian peacekeepers during the conflict.
The monuments, constructed by the government of Rwanda, were unveiled on July 6, 2026, by Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Rwanda's Minister of Justice, Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja.
The two ministers also laid wreaths in memory of the more than one million people who lost their lives during the genocide.
Sharing details of the ceremony in a Facebook post, Ablakwa described the occasion as ‘a profound honour and a moment of great pride.’
"Rwanda's Minister of Justice, Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja and I led our two nations to unveil the permanent monuments and lay wreaths in honour of the memory of all those killed during the genocide," he stated.
According to him, the monuments were constructed by the government of Rwanda to recognise the bravery and sacrifice of Ghanaian peacekeepers who served under the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR).
"The Government of Ghana highly commends the Government and friendly people of Rwanda for constructing these two significant monuments at Burma Camp as an enduring symbol of their appreciation and eternal remembrance of the leadership and sacrifices of the Ghana Armed Forces to protect Rwandan lives," Ablakwa said.
He said the memorials pay tribute to the courage of Ghana's peacekeepers, led by Major General Henry Kwami Anyidoho, who remained in Rwanda to protect civilians when many other international forces withdrew.
Rwanda to build monument in honour of support of Ghanaian soldiers in '94 genocide
"The monuments serve as a befitting tribute to the rare bravery and humanity of Ghana's peacekeepers led by Major General Henry Kwami Anyidoho who stayed behind when other countries left and risked their own lives to protect the Tutsis," he indicated.
Ablakwa also praised the decision of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings' administration to keep Ghanaian troops in Rwanda during the genocide.
"Many more thousands would have been killed but for their rare courage and the extraordinary decision of the Government of President Jerry John Rawlings not to withdraw our troops as other governments did," he added.
He noted that Major General Anyidoho had previously been honoured with Rwanda's highest national award for bravery by President Paul Kagame in recognition of his leadership during the peacekeeping mission.
Ablakwa further thanked the government and people of Rwanda for preserving the memory of Ghana's contribution during the genocide.
"God bless the Government and amazing people of Rwanda for being a nation that shows gratitude and that does not forget," he said.
He expressed the hope that the monuments would serve as a lasting reminder of the need to reject hatred and division.
"May these monuments remind us of our unfinished task in making the world a better place and may humanity win the war against genocide, hatred, bigotry and division," he stated.
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