United Nations Security Council Resolution 1270
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1270, adopted unanimously on October 22, 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, established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
(UNAMSIL) to assist in the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord
.
The Government of Sierra Leone and rebels in the country had taken important steps to implement the peace agreement of July 7, 1999 in Lomé
. There were preparations for the disarmament
, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, including child soldiers
. The Revolutionary United Front
(RUF), Civil Defence Forces
, former Sierra Leone Armed Forces/Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
(AFRC) and all other armed groups were called upon to lay down their arms. Meanwhile, the Council deplored the taking of hostage
s, including personnel from the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) and the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group
(ECOMOG) by rebel groups.
The Security Council then established UNAMSIL for a period of six months with the following mandate
:
co-operate with the Sierra Leonean government and other parties to the Lomé Peace Accord; assist in disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (of around 45,000 rebel troops); establish a presence at key locations in the country; ensure the safety and freedom of movement
of United Nations personnel; monitor adherence to the agreed ceasefire
; encourage the development of confidence-building mechanisms; facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance
; support operations of United Nations personnel; provide support for elections
in Sierra Leone.
The mission would consist of up to 6,000 troops including 260 military observers and would take over the tasks of the previous UNOMSIL operation which was terminated upon the establishment of UNAMSIL in addition to participating alongside ECOMOG. Furthermore, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
, the Council authorised the mission to take necessary measures for its own security to ensure the freedom of movement of its personnel and to protect civilians against direct threats.
The resolution also remarked that refugees should be able to return home, further humanitarian aid was essential and it was important to address the needs of child
ren affected by the conflict. Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was requested to report every 45 days on the peace process.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
1270, adopted unanimously on October 22, 1999, after recalling resolutions 1171
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1171
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1171, adopted unanimously on June 5, 1998, after recalling resolutions 1132 , 1156 and 1162 on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, terminated the arms embargo against the Government of...
(1998), 1181
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1181
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1181, adopted unanimously on July 13, 1998, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council established the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone to monitor the military and security situation in the...
(1998), 1231
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1231
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1231, adopted unanimously on March 11, 1999, after recalling resolutions 1181 and 1220 on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone until June 13, 1999.The resolution began by...
(1999) and 1260
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1260
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1260, adopted unanimously on August 20, 1999, after recalling resolutions 1171 , 1181 and 1231 on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council strengthened the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone by up to 210 additional military observers.The...
(1999) on the situation in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and Resolution 1265
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1265
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1265, adopted unanimously on September 17, 1999, in the first resolution to address the topic, the Council discussed the protection of civilians during armed conflict.-Observations:...
(1999) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2005. 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...
(UNAMSIL) to assist in the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord
Lomé Peace Accord
The Lomé Peace Accord was a peace agreement signed on 7 July 1999 between the warring parties in the civil war that gripped Sierra Leone for almost a decade. President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah signed with the Revolutionary United Front leader, Foday Sankoh, granting Sankoh a position in the...
.
The Government of Sierra Leone and rebels in the country had taken important steps to implement the peace agreement of July 7, 1999 in Lomé
Lomé
Lomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...
. There were preparations for the disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, including child soldiers
Military use of children
The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities , or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, look outs, and sexual slaves; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in...
. The Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
(RUF), Civil Defence Forces
Civil Defence Forces
The Civil Defense Forces or CDF were a paramilitary organization who fought in the Sierra Leone Civil War . They supported the elected government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah against the rebel groups RUF and AFRC . Much of the CDF was made up of the Kamajors group, which is part of the larger Mende...
, former Sierra Leone Armed Forces/Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council was a group of Sierra Leone soldiers that allied itself with the rebel Revolutionary United Front in the late 1990s. While the AFRC briefly controlled the country in 1998, it was driven from the capital by a coalition of West African troops...
(AFRC) and all other armed groups were called upon to lay down their arms. Meanwhile, the Council deplored the taking of hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
s, including personnel from the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) and the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group
Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group
The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group, or ECOMOG, was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States . ECOMOG was a formal arrangement for separate armies to work together...
(ECOMOG) by rebel groups.
The Security Council then established UNAMSIL for a period of six months with the following mandate
Mandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
:
co-operate with the Sierra Leonean government and other parties to the Lomé Peace Accord; assist in disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (of around 45,000 rebel troops); establish a presence at key locations in the country; ensure the safety and freedom of movement
Freedom of movement
Freedom of movement, mobility rights or the right to travel is a human right concept that the constitutions of numerous states respect...
of United Nations personnel; monitor adherence to the agreed ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
; encourage the development of confidence-building mechanisms; facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
; support operations of United Nations personnel; provide support for elections
Elections in Sierra Leone
Elections in Sierra Leone gives information on election and election results in Sierra Leone.Sierra Leone elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people...
in Sierra Leone.
The mission would consist of up to 6,000 troops including 260 military observers and would take over the tasks of the previous UNOMSIL operation which was terminated upon the establishment of UNAMSIL in addition to participating alongside ECOMOG. Furthermore, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace...
, the Council authorised the mission to take necessary measures for its own security to ensure the freedom of movement of its personnel and to protect civilians against direct threats.
The resolution also remarked that refugees should be able to return home, further humanitarian aid was essential and it was important to address the needs of child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren affected by the conflict. Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
was requested to report every 45 days on the peace process.
See also
- History of Sierra LeoneHistory of Sierra LeoneThe history of Sierra Leone began when the lands became inhabited at least 2,500 years ago. Sierra Leone played a significant part in modern African political liberty and nationalism, and became an independent nation in 1961...
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1201 to 1300 (1998 – 2000)
- Sierra Leone Civil WarSierra Leone Civil WarThe Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...