United Nations Operation in Somalia II

The United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) was the second phase of the <a href="/facts/United_Nations/fgXLnmgT">United Nations</a> intervention in <a href="/facts/Somalia/3wQYwIdS">Somalia</a> and took place from March 1993 until March 1995, following the outbreak of the <a href="/facts/Somali_Civil_War/4cwElwEr">Somali Civil War</a> in 1991. UNOSOM II carried on from the transitory <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>-controlled (UN-sanctioned) <a href="/facts/Unified_Task_Force/YuStlzwF">Unified Task Force</a> (UNITAF), which had been preceded by <a href="/facts/United_Nations_Operation_in_Somalia_I/QUrhg75a">UNOSOM I</a>. Notably, UNOSOM II embarked on a <a href="/facts/Nation-building/ryV1nbRI">nation-building</a> mission, diverging from its predecessors. As delineated in <a href="/facts/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_814/25kvC3qU">UNSCR 814</a>, the operation's objectives were to aid in relief provision and economic rehabilitation, foster political reconciliation, and re-establish political and civil administrations across Somalia.
UNOSOM II was a substantial multinational initiative, uniting over 22,000 troops from 27 nations. This operation marked the largest <a href="/facts/Multilateralism/nSgHsg8m">multilateral</a> force ever assembled for <a href="/facts/Peacekeeping/bFrKlQY2">peacekeeping</a>, and at that time, it was the costliest UN operation. The operation abandoned the careful <a href="/facts/Rules_of_engagement/V0NjbwcI">rules of engagement</a> set by UNITAF, and notably was the first UN mission authorized from the start to use military force proactively, beyond self-defense.
Four months into its mandate in June 1993, UNOSOM II transformed into a military campaign as it found itself entangled in armed conflict with Somali factions, predominantly against the <a href="/facts/Somali_National_Alliance/MjyE7gwo">Somali National Alliance</a> (SNA) led by Gen. <a href="/facts/Mohamed_Farrah_Aidid/KYpKrXBx">Mohammed Farah Aidid</a>. As the intervention progressed, <a href="/facts/Military_operation/t4bo3xGX">military operations</a> against the SNA took focus, relegating the task of political reconciliation, institution-building and <a href="/facts/Humanitarian_aid/KKYF2X7X">humanitarian aid</a> to a peripheral role. Three months into the conflict, the <a href="/facts/United_States_Armed_Forces/NHVsU9Id">US military</a> implemented <a href="/facts/Operation_Gothic_Serpent/0fVGM9Cn">Operation Gothic Serpent</a> to assist UNOSOM II against the SNA with <a href="/facts/Special_forces/KzAwTazD">special forces</a>. Soon after, the infamous <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Mogadishu_(1993)/qYckQE0C">Battle of Mogadishu</a> took place, signifying the end of the hunt for Aidid and military operations in Somalia. The United States withdrew six months after the battle, and the remaining UN forces departed from Somalia in early 1995, concluding the operation.
UNOSOM II faced heavy criticism for <a href="/facts/Human_rights/WMW5XCdM">human rights</a> abuses, violations of <a href="/facts/International_law/WJEPeq44">international law</a>, and the use of excessive force, attracting scrutiny from a wide range of humanitarian organizations, academics and journalists. Furthermore, the operation was widely criticized for an overemphasis on military operations, diverging from its original humanitarian intent. The humanitarian impact and number of lives saved is disputed.

United Nations Operation in Somalia II open-in-new

United Nations Operation in Somalia II