Major General Henry Anyidoho: Legendary Ghanaian Peacekeeper Gets New Honour From Rwanda
- Rwanda's government constructed two permanent monuments at Burma Camp to honour Ghanaian peacekeepers who served during the 1994 genocide
- Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Rwanda's Minister of Justice led a joint ceremony to unveil the monuments
- The monuments pay tribute to Major General Henry Kwami Anyidoho and Ghanaian troops who stayed behind to protect Tutsi lives during the genocide
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The Government of Rwanda has constructed and unveiled two permanent monuments at Burma Camp in Accra to honour Ghanaian soldiers who served under the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed more than one million lives.
Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Rwanda's Minister of Justice, Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, jointly led the unveiling ceremony, during which wreaths were laid in memory of all those who perished in the genocide.
Source: Facebook
The monuments pay particular tribute to Major General Henry Kwami Anyidoho and the Ghanaian peacekeepers under his command, who remained in Rwanda to protect Tutsi civilians at a time when contingents from other countries were being withdrawn.
Ghana's decision, under the late President Jerry John Rawlings, to keep its troops on the ground was credited with saving thousands of lives that would otherwise have been lost.
Anyidoho had previously received Rwanda's highest national award for bravery from President Paul Kagame in recognition of his leadership during that period.
Ablakwa, in a statement on Facebook, described the occasion as a moment of profound honour and great national pride, commending Rwanda for erecting what he called an enduring symbol of gratitude and eternal remembrance of the Ghana Armed Forces' sacrifices.
The two structures are intended to serve as a permanent record of the bravery demonstrated by Ghana's military at one of the darkest chapters in modern history.
The minister noted that the monuments should continue to remind both nations of the collective responsibility to combat genocide, hatred and division.
Rwanda's construction of the monuments on Ghanaian military soil represents a rare act of formal, state-level recognition for a peacekeeping contribution made more than three decades ago.
About Major General Henry Anyidoho heroics
During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Anyidoho served as General Romeo Dallaire's Deputy Commander in addition to his role as head of the Ghanaian contingent.
In Dallaire's book, Shake Hands With the Devil, Anyidoho and his men are frequently singled out for praise for their courage and resourcefulness, and are given credit for sheltering thousands of Tutsis and Hutu moderates, saving them from certain death.
Source: Facebook
When the Belgian government decided to withdraw their peacekeeping contingent, the UN leadership instructed Dallaire to prepare to withdraw UNAMIR. Dallaire sought advice from Anyidoho, who assured him that he and his Ghanaian troops would not leave. Thus assured, Dallaire decided to keep UNAMIR operational.
About Rwanda's previous honour to Anyidoho
YEN.com.gh reported that on July 4, 2022, Rwandan President Paul Kagame honored two Ghanaian Generals for the key roles they played during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
During the ceremony, Kagame recounted how the two retired officers sacrificed themselves and contributed to saving the lives of numerous citizens in the heat of the genocide.
Anyidoho was honoured alongsied Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Joseph Narh Adinkra, who was also given the National Order of Bravery award.
Source: YEN.com.gh
