UN extends sanctions on Liberia
2004-12-22 09:59
United Nations - The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to renew sanctions on Liberia as the struggling west African nation tries to rebuild after years of civil war.
Liberia's transitional government had been hoping for a lifting of the sanctions it inherited from indicted former president Charles Taylor, saying it urgently needs revenue from timber and diamond sales.
But the council voted 15-0 to keep in place a ban on timber exports for one year and diamond exports for six months - measures adopted over concern Taylor's regime was using the money to fund wars and unrest in the region.
"Premature lifting of sanctions at this time would threaten the re-emergence of armed conflict," US envoy Stuart Holliday said after the vote.
"It is essential that these key resources and the revenue dervied from their export be used responsibly in the future to improve the lives of the Liberian people, and not perpetuate the conflict as in the past," Holliday said.
Taylor took exile in Nigeria last year, bringing an end to 14 years of civil war and clearing the way for the establishment of a power-sharing, transitional government headed by Gyude Bryant.
A report by UN experts this month criticised the government, saying there was "no semblance of budgetary control" and calling for an enquiry into funds that had gone missing.
Bryant's government has made "only limited progress" in ensuring timber revenues are not being used to fuel conflict or otherwise diverted from the country's development needs, the council said.
US working to restructure timber and diamond sectors
Holliday said the United States was working with Bryant's government to restructure the timber and diamond sectors "as a means to expedite and not retard the eventual lifting of sanctions."
Liberia, founded by freed US slaves, is rich in natural resources but remains hobbled by both its long years of war and the corruption that was rampant under Taylor's chaotic rule.
Taylor is under indictment by a UN court for alleged war crimes in connection with the brutal civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone, which he is said to have funded in part from the timber and diamond sales.
The Security Council, which also renewed an arms embargo and travel ban on Taylor's family and associates, said it would review the diamond sanctions in three months.