News

Some selected personnel from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Ghana Battalion 92 (GHANBATT 92) and the Ghana Police Service are undergoing joint training to enhance their ability to protect children in armed conflicts. The training, focused on preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts, is being conducted by the Dallaire Institute Africa Centre of Excellence in partnership with the Ghana Armed Forces.

Running from Monday, 14 July to Friday, 18 July 2025 at the Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS) in Bundase, the course aims to equip both military peacekeepers and police officers with critical skills to identify, prevent, and respond to the exploitation of children in conflict areas.In his remarks, the Chief Coordinator at the Army Training Command, Colonel (Col) Prince Tandoh highlighted the global urgency of the issue stating that the increasing use of children in armed conflict was deeply concerning. 

He bemoaned the growing incidents where children as young as eight and nine years are reported to be associated with armed groups. This trend, according to him, demands that security personnel are specifically trained on how to respond when encountering children in these situations.He, therefore, noted that the collaboration was vital to raise awareness and reverse this negative trend through the effective implementation of the Vancouver Principles in peacekeeping operations.

On his part, Deputy Project Director Promoting the Vancouver Principles in Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr François Bisengimana emphasized the practical focus of the course.He called for active engagements, urging participants to share experiences since the insights of all security and child protection actors are essential for shaping effective, context-driven responses.