UN in sierra leone
The United Nations is leaving Sierra Leone, once home to the largest peacekeeping force in the history of the organization, after 15 years of engagement.

More than 17,000 "blue helmets" were deployed at the height of Sierra Leone's civil war to disarm rebel militias and return this West African nation to stability.

31 March 2014 marks the official end of the UN Integrated Peace building Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), the third and final phase of the UN involvement in the country.

The civilian political mission was established in 2008 to help consolidate peace.

The time was ripe says the Head of UNIPSIL, Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen.

"I think more memorable I would say is what led to the closure of UNIPSIL and that was the fantastic success the country had in its elections in 2012 where I was deeply touched by when I went out to the different polling stations and saw women with their babies strapped to their backs standing in line in the sun ready to vote. They exercised their civic duties there and the results of all of that is that we had a peaceful elections and a government that was put in place peacefully and that was a signal to the world that that was the third time in a row that they had had elections and this shows that the country has reached a stage where peacekeeping as such as no longer necessary."

The United Nations has helped the Government to combat illicit diamond mining that fuelled the conflict, and to establish control over the affected areas.

Sierra Leone also became the first country in Africa to establish, with UN backing, a tribunal to address the most serious international crimes that was based in the territory where the crimes were committed.

More than 17,000 "blue helmets" were deployed at the height of Sierra Leone's civil war to disarm rebel militias and return this West African nation to stability.

31 March 2014 marks the official end of the UN Integrated Peace building Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), the third and final phase of the UN involvement in the country.

The civilian political mission was established in 2008 to help consolidate peace.

The time was ripe says the Head of UNIPSIL, Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen.

"I think more memorable I would say is what led to the closure of UNIPSIL and that was the fantastic success the country had in its elections in 2012 where I was deeply touched by when I went out to the different polling stations and saw women with their babies strapped to their backs standing in line in the sun ready to vote. They exercised their civic duties there and the results of all of that is that we had a peaceful elections and a government that was put in place peacefully and that was a signal to the world that that was the third time in a row that they had had elections and this shows that the country has reached a stage where peacekeeping as such as no longer necessary."

The United Nations has helped the Government to combat illicit diamond mining that fuelled the conflict, and to establish control over the affected areas.

Sierra Leone also became the first country in Africa to establish, with UN backing, a tribunal to address the most serious international crimes that was based in the territory where the crimes were committed.