– as Guyana aims to strengthen frontier security
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Irfaan Ali, has announced the establishment of a series of Border Patrol Units as part of efforts to strengthen security along Guyana’s frontier regions. The Head of State made this announcement on Saturday during an engagement with residents of Rukumutu and satellite villages in South Pakaraima, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), where he launched the first Border Patrol Units.
“We are launching today, very importantly, the first Border Patrol Unit in this location,” the President noted. “[The] Border Patrol Unit [is] a very important unit in our security and national apparatus. Our borders are important. Supporting you in the protection of our borders is essential. We want our borders to be protected at the community level.” According to the President, the members of the Community Policing Group (CPG) in Rukumutu, along with Yurong Paru and Tipuru villages, will be incorporated into the Border Patrol Unit. Currently, there are 30 CPG members, which the President stated will be increasing to 40. These individuals will also receive stipends from the Government and will be equipped to conduct the patrols. “So, this will be the first village, the first district, where a Border Patrol Unit will be launched… You will now be, with that stipend, in full-time support of the Border Patrol Unit. To assist you, the Border Patrol Unit, which includes the Community Policing and will expand to about 40 [persons] in the three villages, we are going to provide you, under this unit, with three brand new ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) that will assist in the patrol of the border and enhance the security of the three villages,” Dr Ali revealed. He also announced that former Regional Chairman of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Daniel Seeram, has been appointed as the National Coordinator of the Border Patrol Unit. He will work alongside Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ravindradat Budhram, and Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Colonel Sheldon Howell, as well as the Regional Divisional #9 Police Commander, to set up these units. President Ali had first announced the establishment of Border Patrol Units back in February 2021 during his inaugural address to the Parliament of Guyana.
“We’ll also be strengthening our ability to secure our borders with the establishment of a Border Patrol Unit,” the Head of State had said. Then, in November 2023, Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall disclosed that the Border Patrol Bill was being finalised. This proposed legislation is among more than 40 bills and regulations that are slated to be introduced in the National Assembly this year. The establishment of these Border Patrol Units in the region comes as Guyana continues to face aggression from neighbouring Venezuela, which is laying claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass and a portion of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) have been discovered and production, as well as other exploration activities, are currently being undertaken offshore.
Just last month, the Guyana Government had to reaffirm the country’s sovereignty over its maritime jurisdiction, telling Caracas that it has no legal rights to the waters off of Guyana’s coast. This was after Venezuela raised objections to a decision made by the Guyana Government to advance a three-dimensional (3D) multi-client seismic exploration to gather data from a 25,000 square kilometre (km) offshore area within Guyana’s EEZ. In fact, Guyana has historically had to grapple with heightened aggression from Venezuela, coming under attack on several occasions as recently as last year. Back in 2018, Guyana had approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which establishes the boundaries with Venezuela.
The ICJ had first established its jurisdiction to hear the border case in December 2020. The written phase of the case concluded last year after Guyana filed two written pleadings on the merits of the case and Venezuela also filed two – the last being in August 2025. It was revealed in March that the World Court has set May 4 for the commencement of oral arguments on the merits of the case. This will be followed by the Court’s deliberations and issuance of its final judgment, which will be binding on both countries under international law. Guyana has already declared its steadfast commitment to the peaceful resolution of this border controversy with Venezuela in accordance with international law through the ICJ. The Guyana Government has also indicated its confidence in a favourable ruling, likely for some time this year.
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