The United Nations Commitment to Peace in Sierra Leone: 1999-2008

The international community's involvement in the peace process in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2008 was decisive when, after the signing of the Lomé Peace Agreement (July 1999), the United Nations created the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). This multidimensional mission made a significant and decisive contribution to the return of peace to this West African country ravaged by more than ten years of civil war. At the end of this mission, the United Nations created two peacebuilding missions: the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL). These missions contributed to the strengthening of state authority and the institutional capacity of the Sierra Leonean public administration. The two peacebuilding missions in Sierra Leone worked to eradicate the root causes that plunged this former British colony into chaos. Following their closure, Sierra Leone has seen free elections and a peaceful change of leadership. However, several challenges remain.