Former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, has called on Ghanaian authorities to demand justice for peacekeepers who were attacked by Israel Defense Forces.
He is also asking authorities to request an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council.
His comments come at a time when the Ghana Armed Forces reported that two of its men had been critically injured as a result of a missile attack in Lebanon.
This was contained in a press release issued by the Acting Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Veronica Arhin, dated March 6.
“The Ghana Armed Forces wishes to inform the general public that, as a fallout of the current ongoing exchanges between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the Ghanaian Battalion Headquarters in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under two missile attacks between 1745 and 1752 hours local time today. Two soldiers are critically injured, while one other has been traumatised,” the press release stated.
It added: “Additionally, the Officers’ Mess facility was also hit and has been completely burnt down. The injured are receiving treatment at the Level One Medical Bunker and are currently stable, while arrangements are underway for their evacuation to the UNIFIL Headquarters Referral Hospital.”
“The Ghana Armed Forces assures the general public to remain calm amid the fragile situation, as troops are currently safe in underground bunkers,” the press release further noted.
In a statement titled “Ghana Must Demand Justice for Peacekeepers Attacked by Israel and Request an Emergency Session of the UN Security Council,” Mr Mubarak said: “In a brazen and usual violation of international law and the sanctity of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Israel has attacked Ghanaian soldiers serving under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.”
“As detailed in the official press release from the Ghana Armed Forces’ Department of Public Relations, the Ghana Battalion Headquarters endured two missile strikes between 1745 and 1752 hours local time, resulting in two critically injured soldiers, one traumatised personnel, and the complete destruction of the Officers’ Mess facility.”
He said the attack, occurring amid the ongoing exchanges between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, is not merely an unfortunate “fallout.”
“It is a reckless and condemnable assault on neutral peacekeepers dedicated to maintaining fragile stability in the region,” he firmly stated.
“Ghana must strongly condemn this incident in the harshest terms. The targeting of UNIFIL positions, whether intentional or through gross negligence, undermines the very foundation of global peacekeeping and endangers the lives of brave individuals from nations like Ghana, who contribute disproportionately to international security efforts.
“Israel, as a key actor in this conflict, bears direct and full responsibility for ensuring the safety of UN forces under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which mandates respect for the Blue Line and the protection of peacekeepers,” he stated.
Mr Mubarak added that such attacks echo a disturbing pattern of impunity, citing previous incidents where UNIFIL accused the Israel Defense Forces of deliberate strikes on observation posts.
“This is unacceptable and demands immediate accountability to prevent further erosion of trust in multilateral institutions,” he added.
He urged the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to lodge a formal complaint at the United Nations headquarters in New York City and push for stronger international action.
Mr Mubarak further called for an independent UN investigation into the incident to determine whether the strikes were deliberate and to ensure accountability under international humanitarian law.
