Liberian Law Enforcement Officers Graduate from Irish Aid Funded Training
Pictured: Tanneh H. Tugbe, Chief of Human Resources at the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) and a Graduate of the GIMPA Post-graduate Certificate in Public Administration (2014).
Liberia, Africa’s oldest republic, has endured much conflict and instability, including two civil wars between 1989 and 2003. An estimated 250,000 people were killed during these wars, which devastated the country’s economy and infrastructure.
The United Nations established a peacekeeping mission in Liberia in 2003 to support a fragile cessation of violence. From November 2003 until May 2007, members of the Irish Defence Forces were assigned to this peacekeeping mission.
Earlier this year, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) officially retuned full responsibility for the country’s security to the national authorities.
In the context of this recent history of conflict and Ireland’s contribution to peace in Liberia, Irish Aid has been eager to continue our support of the security sector there.
Between 2013 and 2016, Irish Aid has funded the implementation of four rounds of training programmes provided by the Ghana Institute of Management and Administration (GIMPA) to middle and senior ranked members of Liberia’s law enforcement agencies – the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Liberia National Police (LNP).
On Saturday, 24th September, 90 members of Liberia’s law enforcement agencies attended a graduation ceremony at the LNP Training Academy in Paynesville, a suburb of Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, to celebrate their successful completion of courses such as a Post-graduate Diploma in Public Administration, a Post-graduate Certificate in Public Administration, and a Certificate in Administration and Management.
Among the senior officers graduating on the day were 12 women.
Pictured (left to right): Angie W. Stephens, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Graduate of the GIMPA Post-graduate Certificate in Public Administration (2014) and Ellen B. Konie, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Graduate of the GIMPA Post-graduate Diploma in Public Administration (2013).
Pictured: UNMIL UN Police Commissioner, Gregory Hinds (centre right), representatives of the Ghana Institute of Management and Administration (GIMPA), and graduates from Liberia’s law enforcement agencies.
Also among the graduates was Col. Gregory Coleman, the LNP’s newly appointed Inspector General, Liberia’s highest ranking police officer. Inspector General Coleman completed the GIMPA Post-graduate Diploma in Public Administration in 2013. He delivered a speech to his fellow graduates in which he thanked Irish Aid for its support of the GIMPA training programmes and said:
“There has been a great improvement in the capacity of this organisation.”
Pictured: Head of Irish Aid in Liberia, Emma Warwick, and Inspector General Gregory Coleman, a Graduate of the GIMPA Post-graduate Diploma in Public Administration (2013).
Following the graduation ceremony, the Head of Irish Aid in Liberia, Emma Warwick, said:
“Much like Liberia, Ireland has a history of civil conflict but, also like Liberia, Ireland is now enjoying a period of peace and reconciliation. It is with this sense of shared experiences that we maintain a great interest in the development of Liberia’s security sector to ensure continued peace and stability.
“The BIN, the DEA and the LNP form the backbone of Liberia’s civil security forces. As the drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) continues, it is now more than ever essential that those who have graduated today employ the skills they have gained from GIMPA and set an example of best practice and professionalism for their fellow officers.
Security is one of four sectors on which Irish Aid focuses in Liberia. The others are: Health; WASH; and Gender.
ENDS
Embassy Freetown
26th September 2016