Affis Okoro, 1977 - 2010
UN Police (Benin)
Affis Okoro, a national of Benin, was part of the UN Police group working with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) since October 2009.
Born in Agonlin, Affis had 13 years of police experience and held the rank of Lieutenant. He specialized in riot police and public security at Benin’s National Police headquarters in his home country.
Affis was on his second deployment to Haiti, having previously spent two years there with the UN Police from 2004 to 2006.
In 2007, Affis completed continuing education courses related to foreign military service, including a training course for law enforcement officers at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, in Accra, Ghana.
During his second deployment, he was serving in the Mission’s Operations and Monitoring Pillar as a team leader in a Police Commissariat in the western region of Port-au-Prince working closely with his Haitian National Police counterparts.
“Okoro was deployed as a technical advisor to the Port-au-Prince police station,” said a colleague who worked with Affis in Port-au-Prince. “He was quickly noticed for his professionalism, his calm demeanour and his politeness, as well as his dedication to the Haitian National Police.”
The colleague added: “This explains how he was quickly promoted to the post of Deputy and then Team Leader of the police station of Port-au-Prince – the largest unit in the Western District – which covered downtown Port-au- Prince and the very sensitive sector of Martissant Grand Ravine. In just a few months, he showed qualities of leadership by successfully coordinating units from the Haitian National Police, the UN Police, Formed Police Units and military personnel during joint operations.”
At the time of the earthquake, there were 31 Beninois police officers working with UN Police in Haiti.
Benin’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marie Ehouzou held an emotional ceremony to honour the memory of Salifou and the two other Beninese police officers who also perished in the earthquake. Observing a minute of silence he presented his condolences, along with the condolences of the President and the Government of Benin, to the family members in attendance.
Affis is survived by his wife Natalie Myriam.