Liberian President Charles Taylor has halted a diamond frenzy that broke after gems were reportedly discovered on a hillside field in a suburb of the capital, Monrovia, PANA reported Friday.
Up to 3,000 people stormed the area, sharing land and digging and washing the soil in the hopes of striking it rich. Vendors of food, cigarettes and liquor quickly sprung up around the site.
The government denounced the mining activities as illegal, saying no permits had been obtained. Taylor told authorities to survey the area and issue claims before mining could resume. He has been accused of accepting diamonds from Sierra Leone in exchange for arms for Revolutionary United Front rebels - a charge he denies.
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