Ghana’s COP Lydia Yaako Donkor elected to INTERPOL Africa Committee

The Ghana Police Service has announced that COP Lydia Yaako Donkor has been elected to serve on the newly formed INTERPOL Africa Committee for a four-year term.

COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), has officially been elected to the INTERPOL Africa Committee, making her the first Ghanaian to serve on a regional committee of the world’s largest police organization. Her election marks a significant milestone not only for Ghana’s security leadership but also for women in policing across Africa.

The election of COP Lydia Yaako Donkor to the INTERPOL Africa Committee has been described as a recognition of her distinguished service in law enforcement and her strong leadership within the Ghana Police Service. As the only female member of the committee, her inclusion underscores the importance of gender representation in high-level security structures.

By becoming the first Ghanaian to secure a seat on an INTERPOL regional committee, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor has set a new record for the country. The Ghana Police Service has hailed her as a trailblazer whose dedication to justice, accountability, and security has earned her this international recognition. Officials stressed that her election is also an acknowledgment of Ghana’s rising influence in global policing affairs.

The INTERPOL Africa Committee was recently established to strengthen regional collaboration in fighting cross-border crime. Its mandate includes identifying key security priorities, proposing measures for adoption at the African Regional Conference, and advising on challenges specific to law enforcement in the region.

The Ghana Police Service noted that COP Lydia Yaako Donkor’s expertise and experience will serve as a valuable resource to the committee over the next four years. Her role will not only contribute to advancing INTERPOL’s goals in Africa but also project Ghana’s policing standards on the international stage.

Other members elected alongside COP Donkor include representatives from Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa, who will serve four-year terms. Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Sudan have also been nominated to serve two-year terms.

The Service concluded that COP Lydia Yaako Donkor’s appointment is both a national and continental achievement, opening the door for greater collaboration and positioning Ghana as a leader in shaping Africa’s security agenda.