Medals Day in Kosovo

Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, Ghana's ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, at the invitation of the Ghanaian Civilian Police Contingent serving with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), recently paid a three-day working visit to Pristina, Kosovo.

The ambassador was a special guest during the Ghanaian Contingent's Medal Day Parade which took place at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo on Wednesday May 31 2006. In attendance was Ghana's Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Dr. K.K. Manfo.

The ambassador and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police paid courtesy calls on senior officials of United Nations Mission in Kosovo, namely Mr. Soren Jessen-Petersen, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kai Vitrup, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo Police Commissioner, and Mr. Saber Azam, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General.

Discussions centred on Kosovo in Vienna which had entered its fifth round of talks; the state of standards implementation in Kosovo; the after effects of the Montenegrin referendum held on 21st May, 2006; Ghana's contributions to United Nations Mission in Kosovo operations as well as efforts being made by United Nations Mission in Kosovo to build and strengthen the local Police force, the Kosovo Police Service (KPS).

The Ghanaian envoy received a request from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo Police Commissioner to have the Government of Ghana extend the tours of duty of eight (8) Ghanaian Civilian Police personnel for six months commencing 11th June 2006, when their respective tours of duty would end.

The extension, when granted, will expire on 11th December, 2006. According to the Police Commissioner, his request had been necessitated by the fact that the eight personnel concerned held key positions in the UN Mission in Kosovo, and were assisting in the organisation of the Local Police (KPS), and in many other sensitive areas of the restructuring process in Kosovo.

Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe gave the assurance that the Government of Ghana would give a positive consideration to the request.

He rounded off the visit with a dinner reception which was hosted by the Ghanaian Civilian Personnel serving in various capacities with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, some of whom had been around for the past six years.

He congratulated the medals recipients and exhorted them and the new personnel to continue to exhibit high standards of policing that had won Ghana recognition and special mention by the international community.

During the Medal Day parade, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe traced Ghana's initiation into International Peacekeeping to the Congo Crisis in 1960, and paid tribute to illustrious Ghanaian Officers like the late Gen. Ankrah, Gen. Emmanuel Erskine, and Real Admiral Hansen, among others, for holding high the flag of Ghana during their peacekeeping duties.

While commending personnel of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) for standing resolute in the run-up to and during the on-going status negotiations on Kosovo, he acknowledged that short-term humanitarian relief and interventions do not, unfortunately, bring about the end of conflicts. He, therefore, called for the elimination of the root causes of conflicts that had, and continue to plague the world.

He commended the Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, the Commander of the Ghanaian Contingent and his men for maintaining high policing standards in Kosovo and exhorted the officers who were returning home to put into practice, the immense experiences gained while serving in Kosovo.

Thirteen members of the Ghanaian contingent were presented with medals and certificates for their meritorious services. The medal presentation was done jointly by the Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and Ghana's Deputy Inspector-General of Police, whilst the ambassador and the Deputy Kosovo Police Service Commander handed over the Certificates to the recipient Police Officers.

13. On behalf of the Government of Ghana and the Ghanaian Contingent, Dr. Tamakloe adorned the Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, Mr. Kai Vittrup, with a traditional hand-woven Ghanaian smock, as a token of their appreciation for his good works.

He was in turn, presented with a parcel by the Ghanaian Contingent. Other recipients of souvenirs from the Ghana Contingent were the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, the Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police Service, the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, the various Contingent Commanders in Kosovo as well as deserving individuals.