Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, has been elected to a four-year term as a member of the newly established INTERPOL Africa Committee.
Her election, held on Friday, August 29, 2025, is historic as it makes her the first Ghanaian and the only woman to serve on the committee.
The milestone highlights both her distinguished career in law enforcement and the growing recognition of women’s leadership in policing across the continent.
COP Donkor’s inclusion on the committee underscores the push for gender diversity in high-level security and policing structures. It also reflects Ghana’s active role in global policing networks and her personal dedication to justice, accountability, and regional security.
In her acceptance speech, she stressed the importance of context-specific solutions to crime:
“You would all agree with me that although the challenges facing the world on the global scale are similar, the economic and social dynamics differ significantly from country to country. Therefore, tailor-made measures need to be put in place if law enforcement is to be used in curbing crime.
By joining the INTERPOL Africa Regional Committee, I hope to collaborate with lawmakers to strengthen regional cooperation by enhancing intelligence sharing and joint operations across African jurisdictions through the use of INTERPOL security capabilities.”
The INTERPOL Africa Regional Committee has been created as a key platform to bolster collaboration among law enforcement agencies across the continent. Its mandate includes setting strategic priorities in the fight against crime, recommending policies to the African Regional Conference, and advising on issues of criminality and police cooperation specific to Africa.
Alongside Ghana, member states elected to the committee include Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa, who will also serve four-year terms. Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Sudan secured two-year terms.
COP Lydia Donkor’s election not only enhances Ghana’s standing in international policing but also marks a groundbreaking achievement for women in security leadership across Africa.
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