The Command of UNIFIL’s Ghanaian Battalion (GHANBATT) changed during a transfer of ceremony held at the GHANBATT Headquarters in Al-Qawzah, South-western Lebanon last week.

The 16 July ceremony saw the passing on of command from the outgoing Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Fiifi Deegbe, to the incoming Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Abass Atuluk.

Sector West Commander Brigadier General Bruno Pisciotta, who was the Guest of Honour, symbolically passed the UN flag from the outgoing to the incoming commander.

Brigadier General Pisciotta lauded the contribution, particularly along the Blue Line, made by the outgoing Ghanaian peacekeepers during their deployment to UNIFIL for a year. 

The Republic of Ghana is one of the oldest countries contributing troops to UNIFIL since 1978. Currently the Mission has about 870 peacekeepers from Ghana serving for peace in south Lebanon.