Panel begins work on enforcing sanctions

A panel of arms and finance experts have started their task of enforcing UN sanctions against the UNITA rebel movement in Angola, media reports said on Friday. Canada's UN ambassador, Robert Fowler, who heads the sanctions committee, was quoted as saying that the group hoped to make it more difficult for UNITA leader, Jonas Savimbi, to sell diamonds so that he can buy arms and oil for his troops. "Our objective is to try to limit Savimbi's ability to make war," he said. Fowler added that diamonds were the one commodity with a constant value on the international market. The eight-member panel, will over the next six months look into the possibility if tightening existing sanctions and proposing new ones to limit Savimbi's financial resources.