Seth Obeng
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Seth Kofi Obeng (born 26 January 1945) is a former Chief of Defence Staff
(CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces
. He was once also the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
. He is also a special adviser on African Union
matters to the President of Ghana
.
Kansas
, United States
. He also obtained a Master of Science
Degree in Defence Studies from the National War College in Delhi
, India
in 1992.
on 16 October 1965 as an Artillery
officer. He has been the Commandant of the Military Academy and Training School and Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. He has also been the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters. Lt. Gen. Obeng served as the Defence Adviser to the Ghana High Commission in London
from March 1984 to September 1988. On his return to Ghana, he was made the Chief Staff Officer at the Army Headquarters. In October 1989, he was seconded as the Managing Director to the State Housing Corporation (now State Housing Company). He took a break for a course in India. After that, he returned to his previous role as the Managing Director of the State Housing Corporation from December 1992 to December 1993.Seth Obeng has also been the Chairman of the ECOWAS Defence and Security Commission.
from 19 August 1994 to 30 September 1996. Two years later, he was the Force Commander of the UN Observer and Monitoring Group (MONUA
) in Angola
from April 1998 to October 1999. On completion of the Angola mission, he was appointed the Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 1999 to 2001. He continued in this position until he was appointed as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is the second Ghanaian military officer to have commanded UNIFIL after Lt Gen Emmanuel Erskine
.
He is currently part of the United Nations Member of the Follow-up Committee on the Greentree Agreement of 12 June 2006.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Seth Kofi Obeng (born 26 January 1945) is a former Chief of Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (Ghana)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is thus responsible for the administration and the operational control and command of the Ghana military. The Ghana Army was formed after World War II out of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African...
(CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces
Military of Ghana
The Ghana Armed Forces consists of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force. It is supervised by the Ministry of Defence . With around 7,000 personnel serving in the Ghanian military, Ghana has the lowest ratio of active troops per thousand citizens in the world, standing at 0.33. However, the Ghanaian...
. He was once also the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
. He is also a special adviser on African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
matters to the President of Ghana
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
.
Education and training
On 15 July 1987, Obeng was awarded a postgraduate Diploma in International Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Obeng is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort LeavenworthFort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also obtained a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
Degree in Defence Studies from the National War College in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1992.
Career
Seth Obeng was commissioned into the Ghana armyGhana Army
The Ghana Army is the army of the West African nation of Ghana. In 1959, two years after the Gold Coast obtained independence as Ghana, the Gold Coast Regiment was withdrawn from the Royal West African Frontier Force, and formed the basis for the new Ghanaian Army...
on 16 October 1965 as an Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
officer. He has been the Commandant of the Military Academy and Training School and Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. He has also been the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters. Lt. Gen. Obeng served as the Defence Adviser to the Ghana High Commission in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from March 1984 to September 1988. On his return to Ghana, he was made the Chief Staff Officer at the Army Headquarters. In October 1989, he was seconded as the Managing Director to the State Housing Corporation (now State Housing Company). He took a break for a course in India. After that, he returned to his previous role as the Managing Director of the State Housing Corporation from December 1992 to December 1993.Seth Obeng has also been the Chairman of the ECOWAS Defence and Security Commission.
Peacekeeping missions
Seth Obeng has played senior roles in a number of peacekeeping missions. He was the Deputy Force Commander of the ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group, (ECOMOG) in LiberiaLiberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
from 19 August 1994 to 30 September 1996. Two years later, he was the Force Commander of the UN Observer and Monitoring Group (MONUA
MONUA
The United Nations Observer Mission in Angola was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1118 of 30 June 1997.. Due to the collapse of the peace process in Angola, UN Secretary General recommended to the UN Security Council that MONUA's mandate not be renewed...
) in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
from April 1998 to October 1999. On completion of the Angola mission, he was appointed the Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 1999 to 2001. He continued in this position until he was appointed as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is the second Ghanaian military officer to have commanded UNIFIL after Lt Gen Emmanuel Erskine
Emmanuel Erskine
Lieutenant General Emmanuel Alexander Erskine is a retired Ghanaian soldier and politician. He is a former Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana army...
.
Post military career
President Kufuor appointed Seth Obeng as one of his Special advisers on the African Union matters in May 2007.He is currently part of the United Nations Member of the Follow-up Committee on the Greentree Agreement of 12 June 2006.
Honours
- ECOWAS Service Award — ECOWAS Authority in recognition of his contribution to regional peace while serving as the Deputy Force Commander of ECOMOG.
- 12 May 2001 — National Legion of Cedar Commander Rank by Lebanese Government in recognition of his contribution towards lasting peace in LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. - August 2002 — Officer of the National Order of Côte d'Ivoire by the Côte d'IvoireCôte d'IvoireThe Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
Government. - 28 February 2004 — United States Meritorious Service Medalby the Government of the United States of America.
- March 2004 — Inducted by the United States Government into the International Officer Hall Of Fame at the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, USA.