The Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS) has organised its maiden pre-deployment religious parade for troops preparing to undertake peace support operations. The event was held at the Battle Training Camp in Bundase on Sunday 22 February 2026.
The parade brought together contingents earmarked for deployment to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), including Ghana Battalion (GHANBATT) 5, UNISFA GHANMED 5; the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia Company (ECOMIG GHANCOY) 10; and the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB GHANCOY) 5.
Delivering the Islamic sermon, the Imam of UNISFA GHANBATT 5, Lieutenant Abdul-Rahim Yamusah, urged peacekeepers to combine professional competence with spiritual alignment to ensure mission success. He emphasised that victory is not attained solely through physical effort but also through moral leadership and reliance on Allah.
He encouraged leaders to remain calm and consult widely with their subordinates, highlighting deliberation and mutual consultation as sources of resilience and collective wisdom in complex peace support operations. Reflecting on the concept of Tawakkul (trust in Allah), he quoted, “If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you,” and called for unity across faiths. He reminded the troops that their shared objective is steadfast service under the Supreme Commander to ensure safety and mission accomplishment.
Chaplain Captain Peter Porekuu Bangfudeme Dery preached on the theme, “Arise and Conquer.” Drawing lessons from Genesis 13:16-17 and the account of Gideon in Judges, he encouraged the troops to respond to God’s promises with faith and decisive action. He noted that spiritual provision often precedes visible results.
Captain Dery stressed that claiming divine blessings requires preparedness, obedience, patience and healthy relationships rather than passive expectation. He urged the troops to act boldly when called upon, trusting that victory had already been secured in the spiritual realm.
Speaking on behalf of the Commanding Officers of the various missions, the Commanding Officer of UNISFA GHANBATT 5, Lieutenant Colonel Prince Nadom, called on the troops to strengthen their spiritual and moral resolve ahead of deployment. He observed that although modern warfare spans land, sea, air and cyberspace, the psychological and spiritual dimensions remain critical to operational resilience.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadom noted that a Force’s strength often rests on shared faith and values, which foster unity and endurance in the face of complex security challenges. Drawing on the messages delivered by both the Imam and the Chaplain, he stated that mission success in Abyei requires more than physical fitness and technical proficiency; it demands character, compassion, and moral courage, nurtured by faith and conviction.
