UN to Reject Liberian Request to Lift Sanctions

The United Nations is likely to cite Liberia's fragile security condition in rejecting the country's request to lift sanctions on its diamond and timber industries - a move that would give a boost to the West African state's war-ruined economy and curb massive unemployment.

Liberian leader Gyude Bryant asked the UN Security Council last week to lift the sanctions since Liberia is losing an estimated $40 million annually in diamond exports under the sanctions.

Despite being sympathetic to Liberia's catastrophic economic situation, a UN panel said in a recent report the country's "tenuous" civil authority, backed by an "unpredictable" security situation, made lifting sanctions risky and unrealistic.

The recommendations of the panel are likely to be adopted by the UN Security Council.

"Disarmament is progressing but there is a strong possibility that factions may have cached weapons either within Liberia or in neighboring countries" such as the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the panel said in its report. "As a result, regional stability continues to be a subject of concern."

Liberia has seen an uncertain peace since the flight into exile last August of former president Charles Taylor, although some areas are still not under the control of a 15,000-strong UN peacekeeping force.

Trade sanctions were first imposed in 2001 to force Taylor to end his support for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) running amok in neighboring Sierra Leone. Timber sanctions were added in May 2003 in a move to pressure Liberia's three warring factions to end their war.