The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2006. It was created by the United Nations Security Council in October 1999 to help with the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord, an agreement intended to end the Sierra Leonean civil war. UNAMSIL expanded in size several times in 2000 and 2001. It concluded its mandate at the end of 2005, the Security Council having declared that its mission was complete.
The Sierra Leonean Civil War (1991–2002) was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Liberian dictator Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The resulting civil war lasted almost 11 years, and had over 50,000, up to 70,000, casualties in total; an estimated 2.5 million people were displaced during the conflict, and widespread atrocities occurred.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1162, adopted unanimously on 17 April 1998, after recalling resolutions 1132 (1997) and 1156 (1998) on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council authorised the deployment of 10 United Nations military liaison and security advisory personnel to ascertain the situation in the country.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1181, adopted unanimously on 13 July 1998, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the council established the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) to monitor the military and security situation in the country for an initial period of six months until 13 January 1999.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1220, adopted unanimously on 12 January 1999, after recalling Resolution 1181 (1998) on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) until 13 March 1999.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1231, adopted unanimously on 11 March 1999, after recalling resolutions 1181 (1998) and 1220 (1999) on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) until 13 June 1999.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1245, adopted unanimously on 11 June 1999, after recalling resolutions 1181 (1998), 1220 (1999) and 1231 (1999) on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) for a further six months until 13 December 1999.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1270 was adopted unanimously on 22 October 1999. After recalling resolutions 1171 (1998), 1181 (1998), 1231 (1999) and 1260 (1999) on the situation in Sierra Leone and Resolution 1265 (1999) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, resolution 1270 adopted by the Security Council established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to assist in the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1289 was adopted unanimously on 7 February 2000. After recalling resolutions 1171 (1998), 1181 (1998), 1231 (1999), 1260 (1999), 1265 (1999) and 1270 (1999) on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for a period of six months and expanded its military component.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1313, regarding extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was adopted unanimously on 4 August 2000. After recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Security Council extended the UNAMSIL mandate until 8 September 2000 and expressed its intention to review the mission's mandate based on recommendations.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1334, adopted unanimously on 22 December 2000, after recalling resolutions 1270 (1999), 1289 (1999), 1313 (2000), 1317 (2000) and 1321 (2000) on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) until 31 March 2001. It was the final resolution adopted in 2000.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1343, adopted unanimously on 7 March 2001, after recalling resolutions on Sierra Leone and the region, including resolutions 1132 (1997), 1171 (1998) and 1306 (2000), the Council demanded that Liberia end its support for rebels in Sierra Leone and threatened the imposition of wide-ranging sanctions unless the country complied with the Security Council.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1346, adopted unanimously on 30 March 2001, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for a further six months and increased the size of its military component.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1370, adopted unanimously on 18 September 2001, after recalling resolutions 1270 (1999), 1289 (2000), 1313 (2000), 1317 (2000), 1321 (2000) and 1346 (2001) on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for a period of six months until 31 March 2002, beginning from 30 September 2001.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1400, adopted unanimously on 28 March 2002, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for a further six months until 30 September 2002 in the run up to the May 2002 general elections.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1508, adopted unanimously on 19 September 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for six months until 31 March 2004.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1537, adopted unanimously on 30 March 2004, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for six months until 30 September 2004 with a residual force remaining in the country until June 2005.
The Small Boys Unit (SBU) was a group of children who were forcibly recruited by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) as militants during the Sierra Leone Civil War. The war began in 1991, when the RUF desired to overthrow the government and gain control of the diamond mines, a major source of revenue for the country. In 1998, 25% of the soldiers fighting in the war were under 18, and of those, 50% were abducted and 28% were under the age of 12. The war ended with a ceasefire on 18 January 2002.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1734, adopted unanimously on December 22, 2006, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, including resolutions 1620 (2005) and 1688 (2006), the Council renewed the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) until December 31, 2007.
The United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1998 to 1999 that was established with the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1181. Its mission was to monitor the military and security situation in Sierra Leone. The mission was terminated in October 1999, when the Security Council authorized deployment of a new, and significantly larger peacekeeping operation, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).
