Council deliberates on experts recommendations

The UN Security Council on Wednesday decided that the committee monitoring the sanctions imposed on Liberia review the recommendations made by an expert panel and submit a report for the Council's consideration. The five-member independent panel, appointed by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 20 March 2001, recommended recently that the Council extend the arms embargo and rough diamond sanctions on Liberia because of "sanctions-busting" by the government.

Council President Patricia Durrant said the 15-member body had "full and detailed discussions" on the prospects for modifications of the sanctions, the possibility of additional measures, and ways of ensuring that the present embargo remain targeted, UN statement said.

"Extensive discussions" she said, focused mainly on the implementation of Resolution 1343 which asks Liberia to end financial and military support to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Sierra Leone. The resolution further stipulates that Liberia expel RUF members and prohibit their activity within its territory. It also reapplied an arms embargo on the country.

In March 2001, the Council tightened an arms embargo that had been imposed on Liberia in 1992 to curb weapons trafficking via that country to RUF rebels. However, the panel, whose mandate included an investigation into violations of the arms embargo, documented many cases of illegal arms shipments to Liberia in the past 18 months.

Human Rights Watch on Monday called on the Council to enforce the international arms embargo on Liberia to stem arms flows into the country which, it says, "make a mockery of UN sanctions" against the government in Monrovia.