Saturday March 19, 2016
Addis Ababa--The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has appointed Lieutenant Colonel (rtd) Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, from Ghana, as her Special Representative in charge of Counter?Terrorism Cooperation and, concurrently, as the Director of the Algiers?based African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT).
Mr. Gbevlo-Lartey brings extensive professional experience in the military and intelligence field, and has served as National Security Coordinator for the Republic of Ghana. He has also been Director of Programs at the Centre for Conflict resolution in Ghana. He also served as UN Consultant-Coordinator with the UN Mission to the Cameroon-Nigeria joint Commission, the UN Military Observer in the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Senior Military Observer with the United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNPROFOR) and Company Commander with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).This appointment comes at a time when the African Union is strengthening its efforts in the prevention and combating of terrorism, in line with the Communiqué of the 455th meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) that was held on 2nd September 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya, at the Level of Heads of State and Government.
In his capacity as Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission, Mr. Gbevlo-Lartey will coordinate continental efforts aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of the relevant AU instruments in the prevention and combating of terrorism, including mobilization of the international community in support of Africa’s efforts in this regard.
As Director of the ACRST, Mr. Gbevlo-Lartey will work towards the enhancement of the capacity of the Centre, including its human resources, as well as of its coordinating role and overall contribution to the efforts of Member States to prevent and combat terrorism. In so doing, he will build on the results achieved thus far.