The flag of the Republic of Ghana was raised by Sergeant Rebecca Owusu-Yirenkyiat at the UNFICYP headquarters in Nicosia, Cyprus, today. The ceremony was attended by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of Mission, Elizabeth Spehar, Force Commander Major-General Cheryl Pearce, Acting Senior Police Adviser, Dongxu Su, as well as civilian, police and military peacekeepers serving here.

Ghanaian women and men have served as United Nations peacekeepers since the early 1970s, participating in operations that stretched from the Sinai to the African continent. It is now among the top 10 contributors to UN peace operations worldwide, with nearly 3,000 personnel serving in eight missions.

Sergeant Owusu-Yirenkyiat is the first military personnel from Ghana to deploy to Cyprus. She joins the ranks of her compatriots who are serving for peace under the UN flag in Lebanon, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Central African Republic, Abyei, Congo and Western Sahara, among other locations.