Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Baffour Antwi Sarpong, Commanding Officer (CO) of the Third Ghanaian Battalion (GHANBATT 3), servicing under the auspices of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), has taken over Command.

The ceremony held on Thursday 13 June 2024 at the GHANBATT Headquarters, Athony Company Operating Base, marks the beginning of a new era of Command for GHANBATT 3 to serve and maintain peace in the UNISFA Area of Operation and the successful completion of tour of duty for GHANBATT 2.

The Guest of Honour, Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander (Ag HoM/FC), Brigadier General Ameer Muhammad Umrani in his address, recalled Ghana’s peacekeeping history dating back to the 1960s and its current ranking among the top Troop Contributing Countries globally. He expressed his appreciation to the Government and people of Ghana for their continuous support to UNISFA and commended the Commanding Officer and personnel of UNISFA GHANBATT 2 for their exceptional display of professionalism and dedication during their tour of duty.

“They have protected civilians, defended UNISFA personnel and installations, and engaged in humanitarian activities. Their invaluable contribution under the leadership of Lt Col Edward Sarpong Appiah, had been exemplary. Your legacy of service will endure long after your departure from UNISFA”, he added.

 Ag HoM/FC, Brig Gen Umrani, welcomed the in-coming CO, Lt Col Sarpong to the Mission and urged him to maintain the high standards set by his predecessor.

On his part, the out-going Commanding Officer (CO), Lt Col Edward Sarpong Appiah thanked the Almighty God for the successful tour of duty and lauded the officers, men and women of GHANBATT 2 for their dedication and hard work, despite the operational challenges. He welcomed the    in-coming CO and urged all ranks of GHANBATT 3 to support the efforts of the Command to ensure the success of the Unit.

Lt Col Appiah seized the opportunity to thank the Ag HoM/FC, members of Mission Leadership Team, uniformed and civilian staff of UNISFA, Chiefs and people of Abyei for their unwavering support and immeasurable contributions to the success story of GHANBATT 2.

The ceremony was climaxed by the signing of Handing and Taking Over Certificates between the Out-going and In-coming Commanding Officers.