At a ceremony in Accra yesterday when the Lebanese Government honoured Ghanaians Peacekeepers who served in the UNIFIL operations in South Lebanon, Ahmad H. Soueiden, Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon to Ghana decorated Lt. General Emmanuel Erskine with a medal.

Speaking at a ceremony, Lt. General J.H. Smith, Minister of Defence, said Ghana’s deployment into Lebanon stared with the appointment of General Erskine as the First Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 1976.

He said total of 61 battalions involving over 48,000 officers and men have so far served in Lebanon. Lt. General Smith said Ghana had; besides providing troops to the UNIFIL operation also provided able leadership.

“We have provided two Force Commanders in the person of General Emmanuel Erskine and General Seth Obeng both of whom are present here today,” he said.

Source: The Ghanaian Times/Ghana