The deployment was based on Ghana Government's commitment to the 2015 United Nations General Assembly to provide two batches of Formed Police Units (FPUs) to UN peacekeeping effort in war torn countries.

The 218, is the first batch of the promised made by the President John Mahama, even though the GPS had already deployed some 170 personals the conflicted country, South Sudan.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. John Kudalor addressing the FPU Pre-deployment training graduation ceremony at the National Police Training School, Accra said the training was a partnership between the Ghana Government and the United States.

According to the IGP the fulfillment of the promise also deepens Ghana commitments to peacekeeping, as it had been frontier in committing personnel to peacekeeping operations in war torn countries.

He congratulated the facilitators and trainees for making the programme successful.

Also at the ceremony was the US Ambassador to Ghana, H. E Robert P. Jackson who added that the US Government has signed an agreement with the GPS to support Ghanaian police that would be deployed as peacekeepers to UN missions.

He said the seven weeks training was a transformation of idea to reality by the GPS and US Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

According to the training was necessitated the high demand of FPUs in fragile countries like South Sudan where there is critical need for peace to be restored, adding  “the United States is encouraged by Ghana's commitment to peacekeeping and its quick response in organizing, training and deploying units”.

Mr. Jackson indicated that the 218 peacekeepers made 620 members of GPS supporting in nine UN peacekeeping operations across Africa and Haiti.

“These UN police help maintain public order, protect civilians, guard UN facilities and personnel, and bolster local law enforcement operations. They play a critical role in building the capacity of professional, credible enforcement institutions in the host nation, paving the way for citizen security and recovery from conflict,” he added.

The ambassador stated that the US aim was not only to offer assistance to partner countries as they prepare for the next deployment, but to invest in strong national training system that would continue to prepare high-quality police for future rotations and new peacekeeping operations.

ghanaian chronicle