Security Council imposes diamond ban

The UN Security Council has imposed an 18-month ban on the trade in uncertified rough diamonds from Sierra Leone in a bid to stop their sale from funding the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebellion. Expressing concern at the role played by the illicit trade in diamonds in fuelling the conflict in Sierra Leone and at reports that the gems transit through neighbouring countries, including Liberia, the Council asked all states to prohibit the direct or indirect import of such diamonds into their territory, a UN news release said on Wednesday. The Council exempted from the prohibition the import of rough diamonds whose origin was certified by the Government of Sierra Leone, and it called upon the diamond industry to cooperate with the ban. It also asked the government in Sierra Leone to urgently set up an effective system for certifying the origin of diamonds traded in the country, the news release said. The resolution also stressed the need for the government to assert its authority in the diamond-producing areas so as to reach a lasting solution to the illegal exploitation of diamonds. The situation in Sierra Leone will be reviewed after the initial period of 18 months, when the Council will decide whether to extend the prohibition, modify it or adopt further measures. Five experts are to be appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to monitor the ban’s implementation, the UN reported. The Security Council also asked the Sanctions Committee to hold an “exploratory hearing” by the end of July to assess the role of diamonds in the Sierra Leone conflict and their link with the arms trade. The Council adopted the resolution, proposed by the UK, by a vote of 14 in favour with one abstention by Mali.