The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, has conferred national honours on two senior retired generals of the Ghana Armed Forces, celebrating them for their distinguished, brave roles in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
The honours were also conferred on them because of their contributions to the fight that saved the lives of thousands.
The two retired generals, Major General Henry Kwame Anyidoho, and Major General Joseph Narh Adinkra, were decorated with the National Order of Bravery (Indengabaganizi) by the president himself.
In a video sourced from RTA in Rwanda, it shows the special ceremony at which the two retired generals were conferred with the honours.
Reading out why they were being honoured, the MC for the event, Col. Roland Rwivanga, explained that the two “demonstrated unwavering bravery and made the choice to stand on the right side of history during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.”
He added that the award “recognizes an individual or a group of individuals, who in an exemplary way, demonstrated outstanding supreme acts of sacrifice to save the life of one or many people.”
In the 2 minutes 50 seconds video, Major Gen Henry Anyidoho is captured being decorated by President Paul Kagame.
“As the deputy force commander and commander of the Ghanaian contingent of the United Nations Mission in Rwanda, Major General Henry Kwame Anyidoho demonstrated exemplary leadership and sacrifice.
“Under-resourced and outnumbered, Major Gen Anyidoho made the brave decision for the Ghanaian contingent to stay in Rwanda, hold their positions and protect civilians who sought refuge at the United Nations facilities, thereby saving thousands of lives.
“On behalf of a grateful nation, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Rwanda hereby bestows the National Order of Bravery on Major General Anyidoho,” a citation read by Col Rwivanga said.
For Major Gen Adinkra, he served as the former Commanding Officer of the Ghanaian battalion in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Rwanda in 1994.
Additional information gathered from newtimes.co.rw said that President Kagame described the actions of the Ghanaian battalion in the country at the time as the right thing to do.
“The Ghanaian battalion saved countless lives under the most difficult circumstances and there is no soldier involved who does not carry invisible wounds in his heart to this day. Where others fled or were withdrawn by their governments, leaving Rwandans to their fate, these officers remained and continued to lead their men and women, and did what was right to do,” he said.
On his part, Major Gen Henry Anyidoho expressed joy at the recognition and explained that he owed it a duty at the time to protect his fellow Africans.
“At a time when the UN in New York was contemplating the decision to close down its mission in Rwanda in view of the deteriorating security situation, I said to myself as an African General playing a role in the mission, ‘we cannot turn our backs on Rwanda.
“I am, therefore, privileged to receive this medal on behalf of officers and troops who stood behind me to ensure that, together we made humble contributions to assuring peace retained in Rwanda, I dedicate this medal to the heroes who paid their ultimate price and those who bore the scars of sharpened wounds in their bodies,” he said.
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