Paper short abstract:

After independence, Ghana sought to modernise and transform its security forces with through the provision of assistance from multiple providers. Such assistance which came through education, training and basic equipment provision have been major contributors to Ghana's peacekeeping engagements.

Paper long abstract:

After independence in 1957, Ghana sought to modernise and transform its security forces, particularly the armed forces, through the request for and acceptance of assistance from multiple providers. Such assistance, which came through education, training and basic equipment provision, the paper argues have been major contributing factors to Ghana's peacekeeping engagements domestically, regionally and globally. While the paper argues that the objectives of SFA providers could have diverged significantly from the institutional and political interests of the Ghana Armed Forces and government, it is clear that the net impact on the Ghana Armed Forces have overall been positive. There is a lacunae in the literature, however, namely exploring the possible linkages between: (a) the provision of SFA to the GAF; and (b) its effectiveness in application during operations in peacekeeping theatres. A tentative answer to these questions are that Ghana had projections of itself as a continental leader and needed to modernise the armed forces to project power abroad through peacekeeping. The paper seeks therefore to bridge the gap by exploring the extent to which correlations, whether positive or negative, can be made between the provision of SFA and Ghana's peacekeeping engagements. It also explores the wider lessons to be learned from the need to appreciate the finer political and institutional nuances and calculus of recipient institutions and the potential unintended consequences of such assistance after their provision.