tortuouschap8-c973db2f7dd51e44.pdf

This report examines the roles of UN agencies and the implementation of the integrated mission concept within the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). It focuses on the coordination between military and civilian actors (CIMIC) to deliver humanitarian aid following Liberia's civil war, analyzing the tensions between military security mandates and the neutrality principles of humanitarian organizations.

• The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was established by Security Council Resolution 1509 in September 2003 with a 15,000-strong peacekeeping force. Its mandate includes restoring peace, supporting the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, restructuring the security sector, and assisting in humanitarian work and human rights enforcement.
• UN agencies in Liberia performed specific humanitarian roles: UNHCR focused on the voluntary repatriation of over 350,000 Liberian refugees and the reintegration of approximately 170,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) as of January 2005; WFP provided food assistance to 650,000 monthly beneficiaries between January and October 2004, including school feeding and support for ex-combatants; and UNICEF targeted maternal and child health, nutrition, and basic education, particularly for girls through the African Girls’ Education Initiative.
• Civil-military coordination (CIMIC) was essential for humanitarian delivery due to Liberia's degraded infrastructure. UNMIL provided critical air and sea assets for re-supply to remote cities like Harper, Voinjama, and Zwedru, as roads were often impassable during the six-month rainy season. For example, UNMIL aircraft were used to airlift 150 metric tons of WFP food rations to Voinjama in November 2004 after trucks became stuck in mud.
• The 'integrated mission concept' pools UN political, peacekeeping, and humanitarian resources under a single leadership (the SRSG). While this improves resource sharing and security management, it creates tension with NGOs like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), who fear the loss of humanitarian neutrality and impartiality when aid is juxtaposed with military operations or used as a 'tool in the toolbox' for political conflict management.
• There is a fundamental disagreement between military forces and humanitarian actors regarding Quick Impact Projects (QIPs). Peacekeepers view QIPs as a way to protect civilians and rehabilitate infrastructure, while humanitarian agencies criticize them as 'hearts and minds' operations designed for political gain and publicity rather than impartial need-based assistance.
• The author recommends that future UN missions establish an independent economic affairs section from the start to monitor revenue sources (such as diamonds and timber) and curb corruption. This is prompted by reports of missing funds in Liberia, including US$6 million unaccounted for and US$3 million missing from the Central Bank.
• The report suggests that initial UN mission mandates should be at least five years long to allow for effective medium to long-term planning, noting that most missions last beyond five years despite initial short-term mandates.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). tortuouschap8-c973db2f7dd51e44.pdf. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/TORTUOUSCHAP8.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. tortuouschap8-c973db2f7dd51e44.pdf. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/TORTUOUSCHAP8.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=tortuouschap8-c973db2f7dd51e44.pdf |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/TORTUOUSCHAP8.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndtortuouschap8c973db2f7dd51e44pdf, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{tortuouschap8-c973db2f7dd51e44.pdf}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/TORTUOUSCHAP8.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }