CID boss COP Lydia Donkor joins Interpol Africa Committee as first Ghanaian member

The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, has been elected to the newly formed Interpol Africa Committee.

The Ghana Police Service announced her election in a statement issued on Sunday, August 31, 2025.

COP Donkor will serve a four-year term.

She is the only woman on the committee, a development the Service said marks progress for women in policing across Africa and affirms Ghana’s place in international law enforcement.

According to the statement, her election is a recognition of her long service in the Police and her record of leadership within the CID.

It added, “Her presence on the committee underscores the growing importance of gender inclusion in high-level security and law enforcement decision-making structures.”

The newly established Interpol Africa Committee is expected to strengthen police cooperation across the continent.

Its responsibilities include identifying priorities in the fight against crime, advising the African Regional Conference, and proposing courses of action on policing issues affecting the region.

Other countries represented on the committee for four-year terms are Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa. Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Sudan were elected to serve two-year terms.

The Ghana Police Service said COP Donkor’s election is not only a personal achievement but also an opportunity for Africa to draw on her knowledge and experience over the next four years.