The
United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was a United
Nations observer mission involving Canadians.
History
After a few years of civil war in Sierra Leone the
Secretary-General reported to the Council in Jun 1998 that the
priority task in that country was to promote stability and
security by disarming and demobilizing former combatants. To
that end, the UN deployed the United Nations Observer Mission
in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) for a period of six months. Canada
did not participate in this mission.
From the UN website;
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UNOMSIL's purpose is
to monitor the military and security situation in the
country as a whole, as security conditions permit; monitor
the disarmament and demobilization of former combatants
concentrated in secure areas of the country; assist in
monitoring respect for international humanitarian law,
including at disarmament and demobilization sites, where
security permit; advise, in coordination with other
international efforts, the Government of Sierra Leone and
local police officials on police practice, training,
re-equipment and recruitment, in particular on the need to
respect internationally accepted standards of policing in
democratic societies.
UN
Mandate
On
22 Oct 1999, the UN Security Council authorized the
establishment of UNAMSIL by resolution 1270 (1999), a new and
larger mission with a maximum of 6,000 military personnel,
including 260 military observers, to assist the Government and
the parties in carrying out provisions of the Lome peace
agreement. UNOMSIL was simultaneously terminated.
Contributors of Military and Civilian Police Personnel were:
Bangladesh, Bolivia, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Egypt, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India,
Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mali, Namibia,
Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Russian
Federation, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Thailand,
Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay,
Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Canadian Military Involvement
From a DND Backgrounder dated 2003:
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Operation REPTILE is
the Canadian Forces contribution to the United Nations
Mission in Sierra Leone, or UNAMSIL. UNAMSIL began
operations with 6,000 peacekeepers, including 260 unarmed
United Nations military observers, and a mandate to assist
in implementing the Lomé Peace Accord of June 1999, which
ended a civil war of eight years' standing. The main
contributors of peacekeeping forces to UNAMSIL were Nigeria,
Guinea, the United Kingdom, India, Kenya, Jordan and
Bangladesh.
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In November 1999,
five Canadian Forces officers arrived in Sierra Leone to
serve as observers. They were responsible for monitoring the
disarmament of the combatants of all the belligerent
factions, and their re-integration to civilian life. They
also monitored the ceasefire and humanitarian assistance
provided by international organizations. In May 2000, four
of the five Canadian observers returned home, having
completed their six-month tour of duty; the fifth, a senior
officer, remained in Sierra Leone to serve on the staff of
the UN force commander.
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In the spring of
2000, fighting broke out between UNAMSIL troops and the
forces of a rebel faction, the Revolutionary United Front.
The UN withdrew its civilian personnel and asked several
countries, including Canada, for aircraft to help transport
reinforcements for UNAMSIL's Indian and Bangladeshi
contingents. During May 2000, 437 Transport Squadron from 8
Wing Trenton, Ontario, provided a CC-150 Polaris long-range
transport aircraft and 20 personnel to move 300 Indian
troops and their equipment from New Delhi to Sierra Leone.
That same month, when UNAMSIL's peacekeeping force was
increased to 13,000 all ranks, Canada sent more Air Force
personnel from 8 Wing Trenton and 17 Wing Winnipeg to the
airport in Freetown to help unload cargo. In the two weeks
this detachment was on the ground, its 40 members handled
more than 2.4 million kilograms of freight and baggage.
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During this period,
Canada also donated about $860,000 worth of body armour and
helmets to outfit two battalions of infantry that had
arrived for UN duty without personal protection equipment.
At the end of June 2000, four more Canadian Forces members
were sent to Freetown to serve as observers, bringing the
total back up to five.
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Operation Reptile
continued through 1993 today with the contribution of five
military observers to UNAMSIL, which now comprises 17,300
peacekeeping troops and 260 observers.
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Under Operation
Sculpture, Canada contributed 11 CF members to a non-UN
initiative, the British-led International Military Advisory
Training Team, which provides advice and training support to
the armed forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Canada's role in UNAMSIL was terminated on 10 Jul 2005.
Insignia
|
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Ninety days
service qualified a Canadian soldier for the UNAMSIL
Medal. |
