United Nations Security Council resolution 1400, adopted unanimously on 28 March 2002, after recalling all previous
resolutions on the situation in
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
, the Council extended the mandate of the
United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2006. It was created by the United Nations Security Council in October 1999 to help with the implementation of the Lomà ...
(UNAMSIL) for a further six months until 30 September 2002 in the run up to the
May 2002 general elections.
Resolution
Observations
The Security Council welcomed progress in the Sierra Leonean peace process, including the lifting of a
state of emergency. Meanwhile, the situation in the
Mano River
The Mano River is a river in West Africa. It originates in the Guinea Highlands in Liberia and forms part of the Liberia-Sierra Leone Liberia–Sierra Leone border, border.
The districts through which the river flows include the Parrot's Beak ...
region remained fragile and there was a significant increase in the number of
refugees. It emphasised the importance of free and fair elections, the extension of state authority throughout the country, reintegration of ex-combatants, respect for human rights, the unhindered return of refugees and
internally displaced person
An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee.
...
s and taking action to end
impunity
Impunity is avoidance of punishment, loss, or other negative consequences for an action. In the international law of human rights, impunity is failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and, as such, itself constitutes a d ...
. An agreement between the
Sierra Leonean government and United Nations to establish a
Special Court
An extraordinary court, or special court, is a type of court that is established outside of ordinary judiciary, composed of irregularly selected judges or applies irregular procedure for judgment. Since extraordinary court can be abused to infrin ...
was welcomed.
Acts
The Sierra Leone government and
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was a rebel group that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, beginning in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later transformed into a political party, which still exists today. The three most senior surv ...
(RUF) were encouraged to strengthen efforts towards the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement signed in
Abuja and further dialogue and national reconciliation. The Council welcomed the completion of the
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 ...
process and expressed concern at a financial shortfall in the multi-donor trust fund. It urged the restoration of civil authority and public services, particularly in the diamond mining areas, and welcomed the deployment of the
Sierra Leone Armed Forces on border security operations.
The resolution welcomed the establishment of an electoral component in UNAMSIL, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the recruitment of a further 30 police advisers. There was concern at violence, particularly
sexual violence
Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coercion, act to traffic a person, or act directed against a person's sexuality, regardless of the relationship to the victim.World Health Organization., World re ...
, against women and children during the conflict, including by personnel from the United Nations.
Furthermore, UNAMSIL had reported evidence of violations of human rights and
international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law (IHL), also referred to as the laws of armed conflict, is the law that regulates the conduct of war ('' jus in bello''). It is a branch of international law that seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict by pro ...
. The Secretary-General
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...
was to investigate the allegations of abuse by UNAMSIL personnel, and was to report by 30 June 2002 on the post-electoral, human rights and humanitarian situation in Sierra Leone.
See also
*
Elections in Sierra Leone
Elections in Sierra Leone are held on a national level to elect the president and the
unicameral Parliament. Sierra Leone has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties.
Both the president and the members of Parliament are elected f ...
*
(2000–2002)
*
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), or the Sierra Leonean Civil War, was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Liberian dictator Char ...
References
External links
*
Text of the Resolution at undocs.org
{{UNSCR 2002
1400
2002 in Sierra Leone
1400
March 2002 events