Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, it is with pleasure that we invite you to present to you a landmark achievement of the Liberia National Police under this current administration.
In my quest to have officers of the Liberia National Police serve in peacekeeping missions, I was invited to New York in December, 2018 by then, Liberia’s Ambassador to the United Nations and now Foreign Minister, His Excellency, D. Maxwell Kemayah.
The meeting afforded me the opportunity to meet with the Deputy Police Adviser and Officer in Charge of the UNPOL, Shaowen Yang where modalities of including the Liberia National Police on Peace Keeping Mission was highlighted with a commitment made of including Liberia on UN Peace Keeping mission.
In May of 2019, upon my return from New York, my administration for the first time in the history of the Liberia National Police, established the LNP’s Peace Keeping Desk headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kalemo D. Karyo, a trained and Professional Police Trainer.
With the setting up of our local Peace Keeping desk, one hundred officers were vetted and trained by the LN’s Peace Keeping Desk with oversight from the United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia.
Out of the 100 officers trained for UN Missions, thirty four officers comprising Thirty One males and Three Females were certified by the UN Peace Keeping Department after successfully completing the United Nations Required Test conducted by Successful Selection Assistance & Assessment Team (SAAT).
Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, out of this total number of officers who successfully passed the UN’s SAAT requirement, we are pleased to inform you that Four of our officers comprising Three Males and one female, have been selected to participate in the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission in Southern Sudan (UNMISS).
This mission is expected to last for a year, after which a new batch of officers may be dispatched to Southern Sudan based on the prevailing security situation.
My administration is currently engaged with the United Nations Peace Keeping Department through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensuring that the remaining Thirty (30) certified officers take assignments at available missions of the United Nations.
Distinguished members of the Press, it might interest you to note that this is the first time that the Liberia National Police is participating in a United Nations Peace Keeping Mission. Our selection to participate in this Mission in Southern Sudan signals the confidence and trust that the United Nations has in the integrity and performance of the Liberia National Police, especially under my administration.
I am very pleased to also inform you that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has also granted us the opportunity of committing One hundred, Forty (140) Formed Police Officers to participate in ECOWAS Standby Force.
Liberians can be assured of more efforts, under my administration, which are underway in professionalizing and building the capacities of officers of the Liberia National Police in performing its statutory duties and responsibilities of protecting life and property.
We are very grateful to the Government of Liberia, through the President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency, Dr. George Manneh Weah, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its permanent Mission in New York, the United States of America, and the Ministry of Justice for all the cooperation and assistance that has led us to reaching this far with this landmark achievement, first of its kind in the history of the Liberia National Police.
I thank you!