UN Extends Liberia Diamond Sanctions

The UN Security Council renewed the diamond, arms, timber and travel sanctions on Liberia Tuesday, after determining that the transitional government had not yet met the conditions for lifting the measures.

But while the arms, timber and travel bans were renewed for a year, the ban on the sale of rough diamonds was renewed for only six months, to be reviewed after three months. The sanctions were originally imposed in September 2003.

The reason for the shorter ban on diamonds could be the transitional government’s efforts to comply with the Kimberley Process.

The Council said it “welcomed the start of preparations,” for establishing the rough diamond monitoring system, indicating that the three-month review would be carried out with the aim of lifting the ban as soon as possible “following the creation of an effective certification regime”.

The Council also re-established, until June 21, 2005, the five-member Panel of Experts for a follow-up mission to investigate implementation and violations of the sanctions. The Panel was asked to submit a preliminary report by March 21, 2005