After a few years of civil war, in June 1998, the Secretary-General reported to the Council (S/1998/486) that the priority task in Sierra Leone was to promote stability and security by disarming and demobilizing former combatants.
The United Nations could render immediate assistance by deploying a limited number of unarmed military observers. The Security Council welcomed this proposal and established UNOMSIL for an initial period of six months.
UNOMSILs 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 ares of the country; assist in monitoring respect for international humanitarian law, including at disarmament and debomilization sites, where security permit; advise, in coordination with other international efforts, the Government of Sierra Leone and local police officials on police practise, training, re-equipment and recruitment, in particular on the need to respect internationally accepted standards of policing in democratic societies.
Qualifying time for the medal is 90 days of service in the Mission.
Personnel contributors are: China, Egypt, India, Kenya, Kyrgysztan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Zambia.
On 22 October 1999, the Security Council authorized the establishment of UNAMSIL by its resolution 1270 (1999), a new and much 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. At the same time, the Council decided to terminate UNOMSIL.
The Mission continues to date and the medal and qualifying time remain the same.
Contributors of Military and Civilian Police Personnel are: 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.
