Five experts named to monitor Security Council sanctions against Liberia

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today appointed five experts to monitor sanctions against Liberia's timber and diamond industries, as well as the arms embargo against the West African country following its 14-year civil war, and to advise on socio-economic and humanitarian issues.

In a letter to the Security Council, he said the five were Arthur Blundell of Canada, Damien Callamand of France, Caspar Fithen of the United Kingdom, Tommy Garnett of Sierra Leone and Rajiva Bhushan Sinha of India.

Four of them previously served on the Council's Liberia sanctions panel. Mr. Blundell is a timber expert, Mr. Callamand has been a police captain, Mr. Fithen is a conflict diamonds trade analyst and anthropologist and Mr. Garnett is an environmentalist.

In its most recent report to the Security Council last month, the Panel of Experts said instead of spending its funds on health care, education, roads and safe water, the National Transitional Government (NTGL) appropriated 52 per cent of the annual budget for personnel and 15 per cent for security, even though the UN's peacekeeping mission in Liberia, UNMIL, currently bears the major responsibility for security.

Meanwhile, the Government had not accounted for the money allocated in the previous two budgets, but has overspent its funds, while "most of the revenue-generating parastatals or units have not been audited" and many teachers had not been paid for up to 24 months.

The Panel said the Government was willing to satisfy the requirements of the Kimberley Process certification that would authenticate local rough diamonds and allow them to be sold internationally, but lacked the finances and trained personnel to stop illegal mining.