The Second Battalion of Infantry (2BN) of the Ghana Armed Forces, has held a special ceremony to welcome 500 military personnel that undertook a six-month United Nations Peace-Keeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At a reception at the Myohaung Barracks at Apremdo, in the Western Region, on Friday, to welcome the troops and the Unit colours, the Rear Commander of the Unit, Lt. Col. Jonathan Kofi Kumado, commended the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel George Kwamena Tawiah Sam, for his exemplary leadership during the mission.
He also commended the troops for their sacrifices and dedicated service for ensuring peace on the African continent, as well as for serving as worthy ambassadors of Ghana, which earned them UN medals.
He, therefore, entreated them to bring their experiences to bear on the Unit.
Col. Lt. Kumado also expressed gratitude to the Unit personnel for maintaining the momentum in their absence and expressed optimism that it would continue to excel in future operations.
Col. Lt. Sam, Commanding Officer of the 2BN, expressed gratitude to the Rear Commander, the unit personnel, and the civilian workforce, for maintaining law and order at the Unit in their absence.
He commended the Ghanaian troops for successfully redeploying Ghana’s headquarters and sub-units in DR Congo from Cotex Compound to Jemina, which he said, would facilitate the smooth administrative and operational purposes.
He noted that the Unit personnel formed the nucleus of the first United Nations Peace-Keeping operations in 1999 in that country, and said the peace-keeping operations afforded them the opportunity, to close down old UN positions and opened new ones.
He said Ghanaian troops had been supporting the United Nations Organisation and Stabilization Mission in DR Congo for over a decade and the Unit personnel were the 26th troop to successfully return home from Peace-Keeping operations.
The ceremony attracted many family members of returnee soldiers amidst singing and dancing.
There was an inspection of a special quarter guard, and exchange of pleasantries between the returnee troops and their counterparts at home.
The occasion was also used to commission a band stand for the Unit, which would be a venue for providing melodious songs from the Unit’s band.
