The Standby High-Readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG) was a Danish-led initiative associated with the United Nations that aimed to create a standby force ready for peacekeeping. It was formed largely as a result of the genocide in Rwanda and other atrocities. Its permanent headquarters were in Garderkasernen, Høvelte 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen in Denmark. It was declared ready for operations on January 1, 2000, and deployed to the Horn of Africa in November 2000 to form the core of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) under the command of Royal Netherlands Marine Corps Major General Patrick Cammaert. The Brigade returned from that mission six months later and began a training cycle. It announced that it would again be ready for action as of January 1, 2002. Cammaert's appointment expired in November, 2002, but was extended at least once. Later commanders included Brig. Gen. Sten Edholm (Sweden), and Brig Gen Greg Mitchell (Canada).