AMMAN - UN Envoy Ellen Margrethe Løj on Thursday said the Jordanian Formed Police Units' (FPU) support to the Liberia National Police (LNP) in curbing crime and public disorder is vital towards re-establishing the rule of law in the country.
Løj made the remarks when she awarded UN peacekeeping medals to 237 Jordanian FPU officers of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) for their contribution to law enforcement in Liberia, according to a UN statement.
Reflecting on the significant progress made in Liberia since 2003, the special representative of the secretary general (SRSG) stressed the importance of further consolidating these gains to leave a lasting legacy.
"We must however, strengthen our efforts in support of the Liberian security forces and make Liberia a nation where its men, women and children are safe from both internal and external security threats," she said.
Noting that this was predicated upon the Security Council's authorisation in 2008 to further strengthen the police component of UNMIL, Løj added that "Liberia still faces major challenges in the rule of law".
Highly commending the Jordanian police officers for helping to address some of these challenges, the SRSG cited recent medical outreach activities, which were extended to over 600 residents of the Old Road Community in Monrovia, the UNMIL statement said.
"The men, women, and children who were reached by this effort will forever remember the Jordanian police as healers," Løj pointed out.
She reminded UNMIL peacekeepers of their duty to serve the people of Liberia, adding that "by reaching out to the population in diverse ways, we set an example of respect and service".
Løj paid special tribute to the Jordanian FPU Commander, Col. Reda Shudaifat, for his leadership and for inspiring the FPU officers deployed in Monrovia, Zwedru and Voinjama to serve with professionalism and dedication.
She extended appreciation to the Kingdom for its continued long-standing and substantial contribution to peacekeeping operations around the world.
In UNMIL, Jordan is contributing military observers and staff officers, the medical team at the UNMIL Level III Hospital, as well as police advisers and FPUs. In addition to Liberia, Jordan currently serves in operations in Haiti, the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.
Liberia National Police Deputy Inspector General for Administration Asatu Bah Kenneth, UNMIL Force Commander Lt. Gen. ATM Zahirul Alam, Deputy UN Police Commissioner Gautam Sawang, UNMIL Chief of Administrative Services Stephani Scheer, members of the diplomatic corps and senior LNP and UN police officers attended the award ceremony.
© Jordan Times 2009
