By ABI Opoku Samuel
The Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS), Bundase, held an end-of-pre-deployment training religious parade on Sunday 22 March 2026, to spiritually prepare personnel ahead of their respective peacekeeping missions.
The parade brought together contingents earmarked for deployment with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) Ghana Battalion (UNISFA GHANBATT 5 and GHANMED 5), ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia Company 10 (ECOMIG GHANCOY 10), and the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB GHANCOY 5).
Preaching on the theme, “Dependable Agents of Peace through Unity,” the Director of Religious Affairs, Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Benjamin Godson Kumi-Woode and UNISFA GHANBATT 5 Imam, Abdul-Rahim Yamusah, urged troops to remain committed to peace, unity, and professionalism.
Drawing on the Book of Genesis (Genesis 8:6–12) and the Qur’an (Surah 16:90–93), they reflected on the story of Noah and the symbolic role of the dove as a sign of hope, peace, and restoration.
Brig Gen Kumi-Woode explained that the dove represents key virtues necessary for mission success, including gentleness, loyalty, resilience, and dependability. He encouraged personnel to emulate these qualities, stressing that true strength lies in discipline, self-control and obedience to command.
He further advised troops to remain loyal to their families, commanders and the nation, while maintaining resilience in the face of operational challenges. He also underscored the importance of spirituality, urging personnel to sustain their relationship with God through prayer and reflection, even while on deployment.
The Guest of Honour, the Chief Staff Officer at the Army Headquarters, Brig Gen Lloyd Atror, advised personnel to exercise financial discipline during peacekeeping operations. He cautioned that impulsive spending without proper planning could lead to financial strain.
Brig Gen Atror encouraged troops to focus on long-term investments, emphasising that participation in peacekeeping operations is a privilege that should be managed wisely. He urged all ranks to uphold the core values of the Ghana Armed Forces, notably professionalism, integrity and discipline, while expressing confidence in their readiness and praying for their safe return after the mission.
The Ghana Army, is Ghana’s Land Warfare Component tracing its origins from the Gold Coast Constabulary Regiment (GCCR) in the then British Empire, evolving through the years to become the present-day Professional Ghana Army.
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