Security Council extends sanctions

The United Nations Security Council has extended sanctions on the Liberia Government for 12 months, saying the country had not fully complied with demands to stop support for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and other armed rebel groups in the region. The extension, effective from 7 May, was decided unanimously. It covers an arms embargo, travel ban on government officials, and a prohibition on the exports of rough diamonds, the UN reported on Monday. The Council, however, requested the Secretary-General, within three months to set up another panel of experts to investigate in Liberia and neighbouring states, compliance with its demands, the potential economic, humanitarian and social impact of the resolutions on Liberia's population, and any further violations. The extension could "be immediately terminated if the Council decides that the government has complied with the resolution", the UN said. The Council, it added, had noted that Liberia had complied with one demand of the resolution, concerning the registration and ownership of each aircraft flying the Liberian flag. The Council called upon Liberia to establish an effective certificate of origin regime for rough diamonds "that was transparent and internationally verifiable". Rough diamonds controlled by the government through the certificate of origin regime, shall be exempt from the embargo. "The Council called on the government to establish transparent and internationally verifiable audit regimes to ensure that revenue derived by the government from the Liberia Shipping Registry and the Liberian timber industry is used for legitimate social, humanitarian and development purposes, and that the Government report back to the Council on results of such audits within three months," the UN reported. In March the UN mandated a panel of experts to probe the government's compliance with the Council Resolution 1343 of March 2001, under which sanctions were imposed on Monrovia for its links with RUF in neighbouring Sierra Leone. The panel recommended the maintenance of an arms embargo imposed during the 1990s at the height of Liberia's civil war and extended by Resolution 1343 because, it said, there was credible evidence that the government was buying weapons in violation of the restrictions. The panel, however, recommended the review of other sanctions such as a travel ban on top Liberian officials. The report of the Panel detailed the situation with respect to arms and air transportation, diamonds and the travel ban. "There was credible evidence that Liberia keeps violating the arms embargo and that the numerous special units deployed by the Government carry new weaponry and ammunition. The Panel also expressed concern about the continuing arms build-up in other neighbouring countries," the UN said on Monday. Liberia sent a delegation led by Foreign Minister Monie Captan to attend the Council hearings. He said there was "no justification" for continuing the sanctions and that "any consideration of sanctions would undermine the Council's credibility in the eyes of the Liberian people".