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.
The historic election, held on Friday, August 29, 2025, makes her the first Ghanaian and the only woman to serve on the committee, highlighting her distinguished career in law enforcement and the growing recognition of women’s leadership across the continent.
In her acceptance speech, COP Donkor emphasized the need for context-specific solutions to crime, saying, “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 is designed to bolster collaboration among law enforcement agencies across the continent, setting strategic priorities in the fight against crime, recommending policies to the African Regional Conference, and advising on criminality and police cooperation specific to Africa.
Alongside Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa were elected to four-year terms, while Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Sudan secured two-year terms.
COP Donkor’s election not only enhances Ghana’s standing in international policing but also represents a groundbreaking achievement for women in security leadership across Africa.
