Global Policy Forum

By Abdul Kposowa

The latest peace moves by the Liberian Head of State, Charles Taylor, to dialogue with President Lansana Conte of Guinea and President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah for lasting peace and sustainable development in the Mano River basin, may lead to the United Nations Security relaxing sanctions on that country.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan on October 12, this year presented a Report to the Security Council that sanctions against that war-ridden country would further weaken the economy and negatively affect the most vulnerable people there. This development for Liberia came at a time when Liberia is vigorously finding a common ground to broker peace within the Mano River basin.

The U.N. Secretary General said "the Liberian economy is highly dependent on the export of traditional primary products and continues to be highly vulnerable to ongoing political and economic instability". He maintained that "Any restrictions imposed on this already weakened economy would probably have negative impacts on employment, social services and government revenue".

However, the reports stated if a ban were imposed on Liberia's timber exports, it would probably cause the loss of up to ten thousand (10,000) relatively well paid Liberians, and would affect an industry that accounts for about 9 percent of the national budget "Any international sanctions on Liberian rubber would affect even more people, potentially leading to the unemployment of more than twenty thousand 20,000 people employed by the industry," the Report adds.

Kofi Annan maintained that tightening of the existing sanctions on the Taylor regime would also have repercussions on the financial environment, with worsening exchange rates, increased prices for essential commodities, decreased saving and more capital flight.

It could be recalled that since the sanctions were imposed on Liberia in March, in response to allegations that the Taylor government was actively supporting the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone, and that diamonds leaving Sierra Leone through Liberia were a major source of income for the RUF.

Meanwhile, in its sanction against Liberia, the Council had prohibited the sale or supply of arms to the country, banned the importation of all rough diamonds from Liberia whether or not such diamonds originated there. And a travel ban slammed on senior government officials and their spouses.

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