UN Security Council renews sanctions on Liberia

The UN Security Council on Wednesday renewed the sanctions on Liberia for another nine months as it continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region, despite significant progress.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Security Council renewed a set of measures on arms embargo for nine months, and also extended the mandate of the panel of experts tasked with monitoring compliance with the measures for ten months, beginning on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

At the same time, the council decided to terminate previously imposed travel and financial measures, said the resolution.

The council also urged the government of Liberia to take necessary and appropriate steps to "establish necessary legal and administrative framework to combat the illicit trafficking of arms and ammunition," it said.

The arms embargo and other sanctions were imposed by the Security Council more than a decade ago as a response to the continued civil war in Liberia, where warring parties were involved in illegal arms traffic and diamond trade.

According to resolution 1521 which was adopted in year 2003, the criteria for termination of these sanctions include a ceasefire in the country, completing disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, repatriation and restructuring of the security sector, implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and making progress towards stability.