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{{Short description|Peacekeeping operation in West Africa}}
{{Primary sources|date=September 2008}}
{{Infobox United Nations
| image = Emblem of the United Nations.svg
| image_size = 120px
| name = United Nations Mission in Liberia
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| type = Peacekeeping Mission
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| leader_title = Head
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| status = Mandate is completed on 30.03.2018
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| headquarters = [[Monrovia]], [[Liberia]]
| website = {{URL|unmil.unmissions.org}}
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| subsidiaries =
| footnotes =
}}
{{Politics of Liberia}}
The '''United Nations Mission in Liberia''' ('''UNMIL''') was a [[United Nations peacekeeping]]
UNMIL superseded the [[United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia]] (UNOMIL), which had been established in 1993 to support the peacekeeping efforts of the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS) during the [[First Liberian Civil War]] (1989–1996).<ref>Adibe, Clement E. (1997). "The Liberian conflict and the ECOWAS-UN partnership". ''Third World Quarterly''. '''18''' (3): 471–488. [[Doi (identifier)|doi]]:10.1080/01436599714821.</ref> Two years of relative peace ended with another civil war, triggered by conflict between rebel groups and Taylor's administration. Large scale fighting ended following the [[Accra Peace Agreement]] in August 2003, and UNMIL was subsequently formed to implement the terms of the agreement and help establish a new transitional government.
Civil war in Liberia claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people<ref>{{cite web|url=https://unmil.unmissions.org/background|title=Background|date=6 August 2015|publisher=}}</ref> - mostly civilians - and led to a complete breakdown of law and order. It displaced scores of thousands of people, both internally and beyond the borders, resulting in some 850,000 refugees in the neighboring countries. [[First Liberian Civil War|Fighting began]] in late 1989, and by early 1990, several hundred deaths had already occurred in confrontations between government forces and fighters who claimed membership in an opposition group, the [[National Patriotic Front of Liberia]] (NPFL), led by a former government official, Mr. Charles Taylor.▼
Through a [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509|unanimous resolution]] of the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]] (UNSC), UNMIL was initially given a one-year mandate that included providing security, protecting UN personnel and facilities, supporting humanitarian assistance, promoting security reform, and implementing the peace process, which included elections in 2005. The mission would be regularly extended for another fifteen years, during which it successfully facilitated two free and fair elections, maintained security, and helped rebuild infrastructure and political institutions, often in close cooperation with local civil society groups.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Mark Leon |date=2018-03-21 |title=The UN Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia is Coming to a Successful End |url=https://www.undispatch.com/un-peacekeeping-mission-liberia-coming-successful-end/ |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=UN Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref>
In light of the improving political and security situation, in 2015, the UNSC resolved to gradually wind down UNMIL in preparation for the Liberian government to take full responsibility for peace and security.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-09-17 |title=With eye on security transition, Security Council extends UN mission in Liberia for another year |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2015/09/509102-eye-security-transition-security-council-extends-un-mission-liberia-another |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=UN News |language=en}}</ref> By June 2016, UNMIL's mandate was officially transferred to local authorities, with the force reduced to 1,240 U.N. military and 606 police personnel only in case of emergency;<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0ZH3XD|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702140811/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0ZH3XD|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-07-02|title=U.N. peacekeeping mission leaves Liberia after 13 years|website=af.reuters.com|date=July 2016|access-date=2016-07-05}}</ref> the peacekeeping mission formally withdrew on 30 March 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNMIL |url=https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/mission/unmil |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=United Nations Peacekeeping |language=en}}</ref> By that time, a total of 126,000 military, 16,000 police and 23,000 civilian staff had been deployed as part of the operation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Welle (www.dw.com) |first=Deutsche |title=UN hails Liberia peacekeeping mission as a 'success' {{!}} DW {{!}} 22.03.2018 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/un-hails-liberia-peacekeeping-mission-as-a-success/a-43084970 |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=DW.COM |language=en-GB}}</ref>
UNMIL is largely considered to have been effective, credited with restoring long-lasting democracy, political stability, and rule of law in Liberia.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title=Analysis {{!}} In Liberia, the U.N. mission helped restore confidence in the rule of law |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/30/liberia-un-mission-helped-restore-confidence-rule-law/ |access-date=2022-08-30 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Though marred by some controversies, including instances of abuse and transactional sex engaged by some peacekeepers,<ref name=":1" /> the mission's overall result has been described as one of the U.N.'s biggest achievements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roby |first=Christin |date=5 April 2018 |title=UNMIL provides lessons on what makes a successful peacekeeping mission |url=https://www.devex.com/news/unmil-provides-lessons-on-what-makes-a-successful-peacekeeping-mission-92477 |website=Devex.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Welle (www.dw.com) |first=Deutsche |title=UN hails Liberia peacekeeping mission as a 'success' {{!}} DW {{!}} 22.03.2018 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/un-hails-liberia-peacekeeping-mission-as-a-success/a-43084970 |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=DW.COM |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Background==
▲Civil war in Liberia claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people<ref>{{cite web|url=https://unmil.unmissions.org/background|title=Background|date=6 August 2015
From the outset of the conflict, a sub regional organization, the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS), undertook various initiatives aimed at a peaceful settlement. The [[United Nations]] supported ECOWAS in its efforts to end a civil war. These efforts included establishing, in 1990, an ECOWAS's observer force, the [[Economic Community of West African States|Military Observer Group]] (ECOMOG). The Security Council in 1992 imposed an arms [[embargo]] on Liberia, and the [[United Nations Secretary-General|Secretary-General]] appointed a Special Representative to assist in talks between ECOWAS and the warring parties.
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After ECOWAS brokered a peace agreement in [[Cotonou]], [[Benin]], in 1993, the Security Council established the [[United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia]] (UNOMIL) under [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 866|Security Council Resolution 866]]. Its task was to support ECOMOG in implementing the Cotonou peace agreement - especially compliance with and impartial implementation of the agreement by all parties. UNOMIL was the first United Nations peacekeeping mission undertaken in cooperation with a peacekeeping operation already established by another organization.
Delays in the implementation of the peace agreement and resumed fighting among Liberian factions made it impossible to hold elections in February/March 1994, as scheduled. In the following months, a number of supplementary peace agreements, amending and clarifying the Cotonou agreement, were negotiated. With the ceasefire in force, the United Nations successfully observed the conduct of the elections in July 1997. Mr. Charles Taylor was elected
However, the [[Second Liberian Civil War]] began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring [[Guinea]], the [[Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy]] (LURD), emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the [[Movement for Democracy in Liberia]], emerged in the south, and by June–July 2003, Charles Taylor's government controlled only a third of the country. The capital [[Monrovia]] [[Siege of Monrovia|was besieged]] by LURD, and that group's shelling of the city resulted in the deaths of many civilians. Thousands of people were displaced from their homes as a result of the conflict.
==UNOL (1997–2003) {{anchor|UNOL}}==
{{
In November 1997, following the completion of UNOMIL's mandate on 30 September, the United Nations established the
With the full support of the Security Council, UNOL facilitated the promotion of national reconciliation and good governance and helped mobilize international support for the implementation of reconstruction and development programmes.
However, the peace-building efforts of UNOL were seriously hindered by the inability of the Government and opposition party leaders to resolve their political differences
▲However, the peace-building efforts of UNOL were seriously hindered by the inability of the Government and opposition party leaders to resolve their differences over key issues of governance. Meanwhile, the promotion of national reconciliation was undermined by systematic abuses of human rights, the exclusion and harassment of political opponents and the absence of security sector reform. These elements contributed to the resumption of civil war in Liberia, prompting the international community to call on the warring parties to seek a negotiated settlement of the conflict.
On 8 July 2003, as fighting between Government forces and various warring factions intensified and humanitarian tragedy threatened, the Secretary-General decided (S/2003/695) to appoint [[Jacques Paul Klein]] of the [[United States]] his Special Representative for Liberia. He was entrusted with the task of coordinating the activities of the United Nations agencies in Liberia and supporting the emerging transitional arrangements. On 29 July, the Secretary-General outlined (S/2003/769) a three-phased deployment of international troops to Liberia, leading to a multidimensional United Nations peacekeeping operation. He also indicated that, in view of the appointment of Mr. Klein, and the envisaged establishment of a United Nations operation in Liberia, the mandate of UNOL would naturally have to be terminated.
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==Recommendation for the establishment of a UN peacekeeping mission==
As requested by the Security Council, the Secretary-General submitted on 11 September a report (S/2003/875) providing an update on the situation in the country, and containing his recommendations on the role the United Nations could play to facilitate the effective implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, as well as on the size, structure and mandate of a peacekeeping operation in Liberia.
The Secretary-General recommended that the Council, acting under Chapter VII of the [[United Nations Charter]], authorize the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation with a troop strength of up to 15,000, including 250 military observers, 160 staff officers, up to 875 civilian police officers and an additional five armed formed units each comprising 120 officers, and a significant civilian component and necessary support staff.
He said that the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) would be a multidimensional operation composed of political, military, civilian police, criminal justice, civil affairs, human rights, gender, child protection, [[disarmament, demobilization and reintegration]], public information and support components, as well as an electoral component in due course. The Mission would include a mechanism for the coordination of its activities with those of the humanitarian and development community. UNMIL would coordinate closely with [[ECOWAS]] and the [[African Union]]. In order to ensure a coordinated United Nations response to the many subregional issues, UNMIL would also work closely with the [[United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone]] (UNAMSIL), the [[United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire]] (UNOCI) and the [[United Nations Office for West Africa]] (UNOWA).
The Mission would be headed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who would have overall authority for the activities of the Mission and of the United Nations system in Liberia. The Special Representative would be assisted by a senior management team consisting of, among others, two Deputies, a Force Commander with the rank of Lieutenant General, and a Police Commissioner.
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==Establishment of UNMIL==
{{
In September 2003, the Security Council welcomed the Secretary-General's report of 11 September 2003 and its recommendations<ref name="UN_S2003875">{{UN document |docid=S-2003-875 |type=Document |body=Security Council |year=2003 |document_number=875 |accessdate=2007-09-24| date=11 September 2003}}</ref> and unanimously adopted [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509|Resolution 1509]] establishing UNMIL with up to 15,000 United Nations military personnel, including up to 250 military observers and 160 staff officers, and up to 1,115 civilian police officers, including formed units to assist in the maintenance of law and order throughout Liberia, and the appropriate civilian component.<ref name="UN_SRES15092003_page3">{{UN document |docid=S-RES-1509(2003) |type=Resolution |body=Security Council |year=2003 |resolution_number=1509 |highlight=rect_184,232_815,407 |page=3 |accessdate=2007-09-24| date=19 September 2003}}</ref>
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As scheduled, UNMIL took over peacekeeping duties from ECOWAS forces on October 1, 2003. Lieutenant General Daniel Opande of [[Military of Kenya|Kenya]] was appointed Force Commander. Some 3,500 West African troops who had been serving with ECOMIL vanguard force were provisionally "re-hatted" as United Nations peacekeepers. In a statement issued on that day, the Secretary-General welcomed this very important development and saluted ECOWAS for its role in establishing the security climate that paved the way for the deployment of UNMIL. He commended the Governments of [[Benin]], [[Gambia]], [[Ghana]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Mali]], [[Nigeria]], [[Senegal]] and [[Togo]] who have contributed to UNMIL, as well as the United States for its support to the regional force. The Commander of Nigerian contingent Brigadier-General [[Ebiowei Awala]] proclaimed that [[Nigeria]] had contributed 21,160 troops to UNMIL mission between 2003 and 2009. The Secretary-General expressed confidence that UNMIL would be able to contribute in a major way towards the resolution of conflict in Liberia, provided all parties concerned cooperate fully with the force and the international community provides the necessary resources.
Since 2009, the mandate has been extended annually. The most recent extension of the mandate happened when the UN Security Council on 22 December 2016 extended the mandate to 30 March 2018.
In 2018, through the Deputy Secretary General for the Rule of Law, [[Waldemar Wray]]'s office, the UNMIL has "provided textbooks, furniture, and equipment" to establish
==Peacekeeping Force==
[[File:Irish troops UNMIL.jpg|thumb|200px|Irish UNMIL troops on patrol with [[Panhard AML|Panhard AML-90]] armoured vehicles, July 2006.]]
The peacekeeping force in Liberia used to
The force listing given below dates from before the reduction in force strength carried out in 2007-09; there are now two sectors, A covering former Sectors 1 and 2 and based at [[Bushrod Island]], [[Monrovia]], and B covering Sectors 3 and 4 and apparently based at [[Gbarnga]].
In December 2012, Major General [[Leonard Ngondi]] of the [[Kenya Defence Forces]] was appointed as Force Commander.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://unmil.unmissions.org/secretary-general-appoints-major-general-leonard-muriuki-ngondi-kenya-force-commander-unmil | title=Secretary-General Appoints Major General Leonard Muriuki Ngondi (Kenya) as Force Commander of UNMIL| date=28 November 2012}}</ref> Force commander as of December 2015 is Major General Salihu Zaway Uba of Nigeria.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sga1537.doc.htm|title=Secretary-General Appoints Major General Salihu Zaway Uba of Nigeria as Force Commander for United Nations Mission in Liberia {{!}} Meetings Coverage and Press Releases|website=www.un.org|access-date=2016-11-21}}</ref> General [[Luka Yusuf]] of Nigeria served as commander of Sector 1, before becoming Command Officer-in-Charge of the new [[Armed Forces of Liberia]] as a Major General in March 2006.<ref>Helmoed-Romer Heitman, 'Nigerian to command Liberian Army,' [[Jane's Defence Weekly]], 1 March 2006, p.19</ref> From 2012 to 2013, [[United States Army]] Brigadier General [[Hugh Van Roosen]], commanded the mission, the first for an American since 1996 in [[United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Tan |first=Michelle |title=Army general reflects on U.N. mission to Liberia |url=http://www.armytimes.com/article/20131006/NEWS08/310060008/Army-general-reflects-U-N-mission-Liberia |newspaper=Army Times |date=6 October 2013 |access-date=23 April 2015 }}</ref>
===Force HQ===
*[[Pakistan Army]] [[Mechanized Infantry]] [[Battalion]]
*Infantry Battalion ([[Pakistan]])
*[[Mechanized Infantry]] Company ([[Sweden]]) ([[Rapid Reaction Force]])
*[[Mechanized Infantry]] Company ([[Ireland]]) ([[Rapid Reaction Force]])
*Infantry Company ([[Nigeria]])
*Engineering Company ([[Bangladesh]])
*Engineering Company ([[Pakistan]])
*Engineering Company ([[Pakistan]])
*Transport Company ([[China]])
*Military Police Company ([[Nepal]])
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===Sector B===
The Sector B area of responsibility covers [[Lofa County|Lofa]], [[Bong County|Bong]], [[Nimba County|Nimba]], [[Grand Gedeh County|Grand Gedeh]], [[River Gee County|River Gee]], [[Maryland County|Maryland]] and [[Grand Kru County|Grand Kru]] Counties. The sector headquarters is in [[Gbarnga]], Bong County. Military units within this sector include one Pakistan infantry battalion, one Bangladesh infantry battalion and one Ghanaian infantry battalion, UNMO Teams 6-11, three level-2 hospitals (China, Bangladesh and Pakistan), Bangladesh signal company, Bangladesh logistics company and Bangladesh military police unit.<ref>UNMIL: United Nations Mission in Liberia - {{cite web|url=http://unmil.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid%3D3960 |title=
The [[Canadian Forces]] designation for troops sent to the mission was "Liane", including [[SHIRBRIG]] augmentation personnel in late 2003.
==References==
{{
== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal|author=Colin Robinson|title=Liberia: UNMIL's Hard-won success|journal=New Zealand International Review|volume=XXXI|number=4|date=July–August 2006}}
==External links==
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{{United Nations}}
{{UN Peacekeeping Operations}}
{{Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Nations}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:United Nations Mission In Liberia}}
[[Category:United Nations operations in Africa|Liberia]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Liberia]]
[[Category:
[[Category:United Nations Security Council mandates|1509]]
[[Category:Pakistan military presence in other countries]]
[[Category:Liberia and the United Nations]]
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