Ghana capable of deploying more women for peacekeeping missions – Ag. IGP

The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, has stated that the Ghana Police Service is equipped to have more of its female officers deployed at United Nations’ (UN) peacekeeping missions.

IGP James Oppong-Boanuh’s remarks follows a call by the Police Advisor and Director of the Police Division of the United Nations, Commissioner Louis Carrilho, that the Ghana Police Service should have more females deployed at mediation assignments.

Commissioner Louis Carrilho noted that most people, especially the vulnerable ones, in war-zone countries feel safer with women police officers deployed there than their male counterparts.

While stressing on the contribution of women officers towards providing maximum security at peacekeeping missions, Commissioner Carrilho indicated that, “United Nations police is usually deployed in environments where there are people in need; victims of crimes, internally displaced people, refugees, elderly women, people that really need the support of the police, and the women police are better accepted by people that are in need, and what we all want.

James Oppong-Boanuh, noting the role of the Ghana Police Service as one of the very first countries deployed in UN Missions in Congo in 1960, indicated that the country’s Foreign Policy has allowed the police, particularly females, to assist with ensuring peace in countries experiencing political unrest.

“Ghana’s Foreign Policy has allowed the Ghana Police Service to deploy in missions where we require police officers and particularly in relation to women, you understand that in certain areas where the culture does not permit females in the society, in the communities to interact with strangers let alone foreigners.”

According to IGP James Oppong-Boanuh, his outfit has women officers who are trained alongside their male counterparts hence are very competent for policing tasks outside the shores of the country.

“Ghana has been one of the countries that has deployed a lot of women police officers in the missions. We train our women alongside the men and I can assure you that these women are very competent and I believe the request is in order and we are prepared to deploy more women into the missions." He averred.

Making reference to the competence of the Ghanaian female police officers, he took pride in the winner of the UN Female Police Officer of the Year, who is of Ghanaian decent, Superintendent of Police, Mrs Phyllis Ama Tebuah Osei of the Ghana Police Service, currently serving with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) adding that “our women are highly trained and competent so when the request comes, we will be in the position to provide”

UN Police Advisor visit to Ghana important

Meanwhile, IGP James Oppong-Boanuh has deemed as important the visit of the United Nations’ Director of Police, Commissioner Luis Carrilho as very important especially for the Ghana Police Service.

According to him, it is very rare to have the Advisor Secretary General of the United Nations and also the head of the police division of the UN visiting a country.

Commissioner Carrilho is on a diplomatic mission to Ghana on a capacity building workshop to train police officers in Ghana and other countries to equip officers who are responsible for the Formed Police Units (FPUs).



The seminar is to help accomplish policing tasks when security personnels are deployed for peacekeeping.

“As you know the UN field missions and the UN itself is an area where officers learn from each other. Ghanaians learn from other police officers and other police officers also have the chance of learning from us the Ghana Police Service. So for us, anything related to the officers from the head office of the UN, particularly the police division is very important.”