The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has dismissed as false and misleading media reports alleging the exploitation of Ghanaian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

In a statement issued on Saturday, January 25, 2026, by the Department of Public Relations at General Headquarters, Burma Camp, the GAF clarified claims that Ghanaian troops had been banned from shopping outside their camps and were compelled to pay for their own airfares when travelling to Ghana on leave.

According to the statement, the restriction on troop movement is linked to the volatile security situation within UNIFIL’s area of operations and is not unique to Ghanaian forces.

The UNIFIL Force Headquarters, it explained, has facilitated the establishment of 11 shops operated by local Lebanese vendors within two Ghana Battalion (GHANBATT) locations, alongside one Post Exchange shop run by the Battalion.

This was contained in a statement signed by Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin of the Ghana Navy, Acting Director General of Public Relations.

“This arrangement provides troops with multiple shopping options and does not confine them to a single shop, as has been suggested,” the statement noted, adding that similar systems are in place across other battalions serving under UNIFIL.

Addressing allegations that troops are required to fund their own air travel during leave, the Ghana Armed Forces described the claim as entirely untrue.

It stressed that the Government of Ghana continues to fully finance airfare for all Ghana Armed Forces peacekeepers, including those deployed in Lebanon.

The GAF cautioned that the spread of such misinformation has the potential to undermine troop morale and discipline, while also damaging Ghana’s international reputation.

The Armed Forces, therefore, appealed to media practitioners to verify information thoroughly before publication, reiterating its commitment to the welfare of Ghanaian peacekeepers and the country’s obligations to international peacekeeping operations.