United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
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.
| Abbreviation | UNAMSIL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 22 October 1999 |
| Type | Peacekeeping Mission |
| Legal status | Completed |
| Headquarters | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
Head | Chief of Mission Berhanemeskel Nega Ethiopia Chief Military Observer |
Parent organization | United Nations Security Council |
| Website | |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Sierra Leone Civil War |
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| Personalities |
| Armed forces |
| Key events |
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| Attempts at peace |
| Political groups |
| Ethnic groups |
| See also |
The mandate was notable for authorizing UNAMSIL to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence (albeit "within its capabilities and areas of deployment") – a return to a more proactive style of UN peacekeeping.
UNAMSIL replaced a previous mission, the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL). After 2005 the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) began operations as a follow-up to UNAMSIL. UNIOSIL's mandate was extended twice and ended in September 2008.