President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed home 54 personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces who were deployed to Jamaica to assist in reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Melissa.
The President addressed a brief ceremony at the Teshie Camp of the Ghana Armed Forces on Tuesday, where he commended the returning personnel for what he called a successful mission carried out with distinction.
Their mission, according to him as an expression of the deep historical bonds that connect Africa and the Caribbean.
President Mahama described the deployment as “a non-combat, humanitarian mission” rooted in shared Afro-Caribbean history and Pan-African solidarity, noting that the bonds between Ghana and Jamaica ran deeper than diplomatic courtesy and that the deployment was a natural expression of that connection.
The 54-member team, drawn primarily from the 14 Engineer Regiment with support from the 48th, 49th, and 50th regiments, spent months in Jamaica rebuilding homes and public facilities in the St. Elizabeth Parish, including the communities of Middle Quarters and Black River.
In total, the contingent rebuilt over 26 homes and public facilities, focusing largely on roofing works carried out in collaboration with the Jamaica Defence Force and the United States.
The deployment followed a formal request from the Prime Minister of Jamaica to the Ghanaian government after Hurricane Melissa struck the island last October, causing widespread destruction across several parishes.
President Mahama commended the personnel for the work they had done on behalf of Ghana, saying their conduct abroad reflected the values and professionalism of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
