Peacekeeping Allowances Explained  

Lt Gen William Agyapong, Chief of the Defence Staff

 

Allowances for Ghanaian soldiers on United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions are once again on the spot attracting assortment of commentaries.

A media commentator, Captain Smart, last week claimed that “young officers are dying” over monies the Ghanaian government pays them which are far below what the UN pays.

The commentary has attracted the attention of the military hierarchy, which hardly responds to such commentaries.

According to the commentator, each soldier on peacekeeping mission is paid $300 daily by the UN, but the Ghanaian government pays the soldiers only $35.

In other words, Ghanaian peacekeepers receive less than GH¢400 daily, adding that soldiers pay to be considered for such missions.

He disclosed that some 250 soldiers have returned home following a decision by the UN that it is no longer necessary to keep them. These soldiers have been on the mission for only seven months, but returning so abruptly after paying so much to be considered for the mission.

Details available to DAILY GUIDE indicates however that each peacekeeping soldier is entitled to $46, but Ghana gives $35, while the remaining $11 is used to support each soldier’s $700 air fare for leave in Ghana, six weeks pre-operations training, ?money for internet in theatre, ?welfare of troops and ?medal day celebrations.

Others are official visits, ?maintenance of weapons, ?funding for in missions festivities (Xmas, Easter).

The Government of Ghana adds up additional funding to support the troops’ stay in the mission.

The claim that the UN pays anything more than $46 is mischievous and a plot to incite troops, a source has noted.

The facts are available on the UN website for verification.

UN websites have stated that countries volunteering uniformed personnel to peacekeeping operations are reimbursed by the UN at a standard rate approved by the General Assembly.

As of December 5, 2025, the average annual pay for a UN peacekeeper in the US is $31,133 a year. That works out to approximately $14.97 an hour. This is the equivalent of $598/week.

It will be recalled that in 2017 this subject popped up, compelling the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to deny claims that troops undertaking peacekeeping missions were being underpaid.

The military at the time indicated that reports that suggested that troops were being paid $31.00 per day, instead of the promised $35.00 were false.

The then President Nana Akufo-Addo, in March 2017, announced an increase in peacekeeping allowances from $31 to $35, which took retrospective effect from January 2017.

He made the announcement when he addressed an end-of-year get-together of the Ghana Armed Forces (WASSA).

A portion of the GAF reaction read, “The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has noted with concern a false publication in the Daily Post Newspaper on October 12, 2017 claiming that troops on UN peacekeeping operations are being paid $31.00 instead of the $35.00 promised by Government. GAF wishes to state categorically that this information is totally false and without any iota of truth. It is hereby reiterated that the approved rate of payment remains $35.00 per soldier per day without any intention of reducing it.”

 

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