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afrol News, 5 May - New sanctions against Liberia, set out in a Security Council resolution adopted two months ago, will automatically take effect next week because Monrovia has not demonstrated compliance with the Council's demands, the President of that body said on Friday. Ambassador James Cunningham of the United States made his statement following closed-door consultations on the Secretary-General's latest report on Liberia and a briefing by Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore, who chairs the Security Council's Liberia sanctions committee, according to a UN release. The President told reporters that Security Council members had concluded that the information available on steps taken by the Government of Liberia was "not sufficient for the Council to conclude that sanctions under resolution 1343 should be postponed." That resolution demanded that Liberia immediately stop supporting the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Sierra Leone and other armed groups in the region by expelling RUF members from Liberia and ending financial and military aid to the rebel army. It also stated that in the absence of compliance with the resolution's demands, additional sanctions would take effect on 7 May, including a ban on the direct or indirect import of all rough diamonds from Liberia, and measures to prevent travel by senior members of the country's government or their spouses. Ambassador Cunningham noted that the sanctions were targeted to address the leadership of Liberia and not cause harm to the country's people. "They are designed to limit any impact on the humanitarian situation in the country, and in fact there was a great deal of expression of concern about the humanitarian situation in Liberia," he said. - The sanctions are intended to encourage performance, and to achieve the goal of the resolution which is to have the government of Liberia break its links with the RUF and to end its support for it, and the Council has no desire to impact the situation of the people of Liberia, the Security Council President said. Security Council members also welcomed the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in pursuing peace and stability in the region, and commended the "strong cooperation" that exists between the UN, ECOWAS and the Security Council. "The Council will continue its dialogue with all States of the region - all the governments and leaders - including Liberia, and will keep this item under close consideration," Ambassador Cunningham said. Liberian President Charles Taylor today described the sanctions gainst his regime as "unjust and unfair". He said Liberia had done everything to sever ties with the RUF but the international community had not checked this. Thousands of people took to the streets of Monrovia to protest against the sanctions. In his first report on Liberia released earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan did not outline any significant improvements in the country; contacts with the Sierra Leonean terrorists are still intact. Meanwhile, Amnesty International documented "rampant torture" by government troops. Annan in his report "strongly" suggested that the international community remain engaged with Liberia and its people, whatever course of action the Council chooses to follow. - External pressure without dialogue may not have a lasting impact on a country that is battling its own armed insurgency and is mired in deep political, economic and social problems, Kofi Annan wrote in his report, meant to advise the Security Council on its actions on Liberia. Source: Based on UN sources and afrol archives
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