afrol News, 18 December - The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution to exempt Liberia from an arms embargo imposed on the West African state in 2003.

The council renewed the arms embargo on everyone else in Liberia except for the 10,000-strong UN peacekeeping force, but said it would not apply to the government for an experimental 12 month period.

However, Resolution 1903 extends for a year asset freezes for those associated with the former regime of Charles Taylor.

In 2001, the United Nations adopted sanctions on sales of Liberian blood diamonds, but the warring factions soon turned to logging to fund their illicit activities.

The council noted with serious concern a finding by the expert panel that little progress was being made in imposing a UN freeze on assets owned or controlled by Mr Taylor, his family and associates. It demanded that Liberia's government "make all necessary efforts to fulfill its obligations."

Mr Taylor has been on trial in The Hague since January 2008 on 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from the brutal 1991-2001 civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone, whose rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) he is accused of arming in exchange for so-called blood diamonds.

The RUF is blamed for the mutilation of thousands of civilians who had limbs severed in one of the most brutal wars in modern history, which claimed some 120,000 lives.

Liberia is still struggling to recover from 14 years of civil war that ended six years ago after more than 250,000 people were killed.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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