Panel recommends extension of sanctions

An independent five-member panel dealing with sanctions against Liberia on Tuesday recommended that the UN Security Council extend the arms embargo and rough diamond sanctions on the country, a UN statement said. In a report released at the UN headquarters, the panel said that despite some progress, "a steady flow of new weapons had continued to enter into Liberia in violation of UN sanctions". According to the report, the timber production - an important source of revenue for the government - "had also been a source of revenue for sanctions-busting". It, therefore, recommended that the UN impose a ban on all round log exports from Liberia starting from July 2002. The panel also said that Liberia's maritime registry had generated funds for unclear off-budget expenditures, including sanctions-busting. It suggested that the Council's Sanctions Committee for Liberia set up an account held by a third party as the ultimate destination for all revenues generated from the country's shipping and corporate registry. It added that the Council may consider lifting its order, in Resolution 1343 (2001) to ground Liberian aircraft, because the government had made progress in addressing irregularities among its registered aircraft. Pursuant to the resolution, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed the panel of experts on 20 March 2001. Their mandate was to, among other things, investigate violations of the arms embargo and the travel ban on senior officials of the Liberian government. It was also to collect information on the compliance by the government with the demands to cease all direct and indirect import of Sierra Leone rough diamonds and to expel all members of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) from Liberia.