Emmanuel Erskine

Emmanuel Alexander Erskine (19 January 1935 – 7 May 2021) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician. He was a Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Army. He was also a commander of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Emmanuel Erskine
Born(1935-01-19)19 January 1935
Kumasi, Ghana[1]
Died7 May 2021(2021-05-07) (aged 86)
AllegianceGhana
Service/branchGhana Army
Years of service1960–1986
RankLieutenant General
Commands heldUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
Chief of Army Staff
Ghana Signals Regiment

Early life and education

Emmanuel Erskine was born on 19 January 1935.[2] He trained in various military institutions in the United Kingdom. He had telecommunications training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England, completing in 1960. He was also at the Staff College, Camberley in 1968 and trained at the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1968 and 1972.[3]

Military career

Ghana Army

Erskine was commissioned at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December 1960 into the Signal Corps of the Ghana Army. He served in various capacities with the Ghana Army. He was Commanding Officer of the Ghana Signals Regiment and later Director of Communications with the Ghana Ministry of Defence. He later became Director for Operations and Planning at the same Ministry from 1971 to 1972. He was the Chief of Army Staff briefly between January and February 1972. He again held the same position from February 1973 to April 1974.[4]

United Nations peacekeeping

Erskine served as the Chief of Staff and Deputy Force Commander of the Second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II) from 1974 to 1976 in Egypt. He was then appointed the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in Israel between January 1976 and April 1978.[5] He subsequently became the first commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) between 1978 and 1981. Erskine again occupied the position of Chief of Staff of UNTSO and was also the United Nations Secretary General's Representative for Matters relating to UN Peacekeeping Operations in the Middle East from February 1981 to May 1986.[3]

Political career

Erskine was one of the founding members of the People's Heritage Party (PHP). He was the party's presidential candidate during the 1992 Ghanaian presidential election.[6][7] He came fifth with 1.7% of the vote. The PHP later merged with the National Independence Party to form the People's Convention Party (PCP) in 1993.[8]

National Reconciliation Commission

Erskine was one of the nine members of the National Reconciliation Commission which were appointed by the President of Ghana, John Kufuor in consultation with the Council of State of Ghana. The commission was to investigate human rights abuses committed during the five military regimes which have ruled Ghana.[9][10][11]

General Emmanuel Erskine Research and Documentation Centre

The Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) is a peace organization based in Harare, Zimbabwe. It was established in February 2001[12] and had Erskine as the chairman of the board of trustees.[3] The CPIA has the General Emmanuel Erskine Research and Documentation Centre (GERDC) named in his honour and was officially opened in September 2001 by him.[13] The GERDC also launched the General Emmanuel Erskine Annual Lecture Series. The inaugural lecture was delivered by Erskine.[14]

Other activities

Erskine was the Chairman of the Opportunities Industrialization Centre Ghana Accra Local Programme Committee.[15] He had been a member of the Pugwash council since 1992[16] and was a participant at the 50th Pugwash conference which deliberated on "Eliminating the Causes of War".[17] He served as the Chairman of the Ghana Action Network on Small Arms (GANSA) in 2002.[18]

Later life

Erskine died on 7 May 2021.[2]

Publications
  • Erskine, Emmanuel; Kapoor, B.L.; Norton, Augustus R. (1987). Peace, security and humanitarian relief in northern Mozambique: An IPA fact-finding mission. International Peace Academy. pp. 34 pages. ASIN: B00072LYLA.
  • Erskine, Emmanuel (30 September 1989). Mission with UNIFIL: An African Soldier's Reflections. C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd. pp. 272 pages. ISBN 978-1-85065-048-5.
  • Emmanuel Erskine & Peggy Mason (December 1999). DISARMAMENT, DEMOBILIZATION AND REINTEGRATION OF EX-COMBATANTS IN A PEACEKEEPING ENVIRONMENT – Principles and Guidelines (PDF). New York: Training & Evaluation Services/Department of Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations. pp. 119 pages. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  • Peace Keeping Techniques for Africa's Conflict Management. Afram Publications Ghana Ltd. April 2000. pp. 255 pages. ISBN 978-9964-70-209-0.
  • General Emmanuel Erskine Annual Lecture on Peace and Security: Inaugural Lecture Topic, National Reconciliation--The Ghana Experience. Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa. January 2006. pp. 32 pages. ISBN 978-1-77926-027-7.

References
  1. Erskine, Emmanuel A. (2000). Peace-keeping Techniques for Africa's Conflict Management. ISBN 9789964702090.
  2. "Lt Gen Emmanuel Erskine (Rtd) passes on". Graphic Online. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  3. "BOARD OF TRUSTEES". Official website. Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  4. "Past Army Commanders / Chiefs of Army Staff". Official website. Ghana Armed Forces. 6 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  5. Ben M. Cahoon. "Jerusalem:No Man's Land". online encyclopedia of the leaders of nations and territories. WorldStatesman.org. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  6. "Elections in Ghana:03 November 1992 Presidential Election". African Elections Database. Albert C. Nunley. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  7. "Ghana:Presidential Elections". Country-data.com. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  8. "Ghana Appendix A. Tables". Country Studies – Area Handbook Series. Library of Congress. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  9. "Ghana gets reconciliation panel". African News. BBC Online. 7 May 2002. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  10. "Truth Panel Begins Hearings". General News of Tuesday, 14 January 2003. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  11. "The National Reconciliation Commission Report. CHAPTER ONE". Ghana government. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  12. "Welcome to the CPIA website". Official website. Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  13. "General Emmanuel Erskine". Official website. Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  14. "Transcription of Archives and Digitisation, November 21–23" (PDF). Nordic Africa Institute. pp. 6 pages. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  15. "Ghana needs transferable skills to reduce unemployment". Online news. MyJoyOnline.com. 27 November 2007. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  16. "MEMBERS OF THE PUGWASH COUNCIL FOR 1992–97". Rome Pugwash Office. Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  17. "Eliminating the Causes of War – 50th Pugwash Conference – Pugwash Meeting No. 255". Online newsletter. Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  18. "Security experts- NGOs meet over need to check arms proliferation". Norwegian Institute on Small Arms Transfers. 20 May 2002. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
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