The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) today announced the deployment of a new Nepalese Formed Police Unit (FPU) to support peace and stability in Liberia. Around 120 Nepalese police officers arrived in Monrovia this morning and will be deployed to Tubmanburg in Bomi County.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Coordinator of United Nations Operations in Liberia, Ms Karin Landgren said “The deployment of the new Nepalese Formed Police Unit (FPU) is an important element of UNMIL’s ongoing transition process. Over the coming years, as we reduce our military strength we will increase our police numbers to help support and maintain Liberia’s hard won peace and stability. Our new Nepalese FPU will play a vital role in supporting the Liberian security forces and helping to build their capabilities.

UNMIL and the Government of Liberia are working closely together during the transition period. This is a slow and gradual process that has been carefully planned and prepared. Maintaining Liberia’s security remains UNMIL’s guiding principle and number one priority as we move forward.”

Last September the UN Security Council authorised the increase of UNMIL’s FPUs by 420 new peacekeepers from its current seven units, comprising 1,375 police officers, to 10 units providing for a new ceiling of 1,795 police personnel. The Nepalese FPU is the first of the additional three FPUs to arrive. UNMIL currently has two other Nepalese FPUs deployed in Monrovia and Buchanan.

The FPUs are an armed component of UNMIL’s UN police personnel. They support peace and stability in Liberia by conducting joint patrols with the Liberia National Police (LNP), providing rapid response capabilities for crowd control and demonstrations, protecting Government facilities and providing security at prisons. UNMIL FPUs also provide technical advice to the LNP’s Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and the Police Support Unit (PSU).

UNMIL’s FPU’s routinely engage in community outreach to strengthen public confidence in law enforcement. Typical outreach programmes include:

Engaging communities through joint neighborhood “Clean-up Days”;
Accompanying the LNP during visits to local schools and civic events to promote public safety and raise awareness on sensitive issues, such as mob violence and sexual and gender-based violence;
Assisting the LNP in recruitment drives, particularly reaching out to prospective female candidates, and providing medical screening for new recruits ; and
Providing free medical checks, healthcare advice and instruction on basic first aid to local communities.