Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has appealed to member states of the Commonwealth of Nations to speak strongly against recent attacks on United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon while also working to eliminate tariffs and trade restrictions within the bloc.
Addressing the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting in London on Sunday, March 8, 2026, the minister cautioned that assaults on peacekeeping troops threaten the foundations of global cooperation and peacekeeping missions.
His remarks come after a strike on the Ghana Battalion headquarters, popularly called “Camp Obeng”, in southern Lebanon during an exchange of fire between the Israel Defense Forces and the militant group Hezbollah. The attack left three Ghanaian soldiers critically injured.
Mr Ablakwa described the incident as a serious violation of international principles and called for a thorough probe into the matter.
“On our way in, our peacekeepers in Lebanon were attacked. As we speak, three of them have undergone multiple surgeries. An attack on UN peacekeepers is an attack on multilateralism. It is an attack on every principle that the UN Charter exists to defend,” he said.
Beyond the security concerns, the minister urged Commonwealth countries to deepen economic ties by removing tariffs and other trade barriers. He noted that freer trade among the organisation’s 56 member states—spread across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific—could unlock opportunities for a combined market of about 2.7 billion people.
“We hope to share our thoughts, particularly in offering the Commonwealth as a different multilateral organisation that does not believe in tariff wars, but will remove tariffs and trade barriers and ensure that we are able to enhance our fortunes as we pursue economic diplomacy, particularly as Ghana hosts the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa also encouraged Commonwealth members to support a proposed resolution at the United Nations General Assembly recognising slavery, colonisation, apartheid and the transatlantic slave trade as crimes against humanity.
The motion, expected to be presented on March 25 by John Dramani Mahama, calls for global acknowledgement of these historical injustices and seeks reparations and reparative justice for affected nations.
