Personnel displaying at the pre deployment exercise
One hundred and eighty police personnel of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) will be deployed to South Sudan in February 2017 for a United Nation (UN) peacekeeping mission.
The personnel, made up of 10 senior police officers, chief inspectors, inspectors and other ranks, are expected to protect civilians in South Sudan.
This brings to 360 the number of personnel deployed over the past two years by the police administration.
Last year, a total of 170 police personnel embarked on United Nation (UN) Mission to South Sudan.
As part of the preparations for their deployment, the police administration organized an eight-week capacity building training for personnel under the supervision of officers from the International Police Peacekeeping Operations Support (IPPOS) of the United States of America (USA).
At a closing ceremony in Accra, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor, urged personnel to exhibit professionalism and commitment in the discharge of their duties.
He said personnel deployed earlier have set the standards, calling on personnel who would be deployed next year to maintain the standards.
The IGP also appealed to US to provide Ghana with modern equipment to be used in peacekeeping operations.
The United States Ambassador for Ghana, Robert Jackson, reiterated the commitment of US to offering assistance to the Ghana Police Service.
“United States of America’s aim is not only to assist partner countries but invest in a strong national training system that would continue to prepare quality police for future rotations and peacekeeping operations as well.”
He said the US would continue to partner Ghana to build and strengthen the Ghana Police Service to boost deployment of police keepers in the coming year.
Mr. Jackson advised personnel to help maintain peace in South Sudan.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey