UN/LIBERIA SANCTIONS: LIBERIA SEEKS END TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000311

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018
TAGS: ETTC UNSC PREL PGOV LI
SUBJECT: UN/LIBERIA SANCTIONS: LIBERIA SEEKS END TO
TARGETED SANCTIONS AND PANEL OF EXPERTS


Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR MOLLY PHEE, FOR REASONS: 1.4(
B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: USUN PolOff met with
Liberian PermRep Milton Barnes on March 12 at his request to
discuss Liberia's view of the way forward on the Liberia
sanctions regime. Barnes said Liberia is seeking to remove
individuals from the sanctions list and to terminate the
mandate of the Panel of Experts, and is seeking Security
Council support for these steps in order to bolster political
reconciliation and signal the progress Liberia has made in
the security and natural resources sectors. ACTION REQUEST:
USUN seeks Department guidance on sharing with the Liberian
mission the USG list of individuals proposed for delisting in
the Liberia Sanctions Committee, and on the Liberian proposal
to terminate the mandate of the Panel of Experts. End
Summary and action request.


2. (C) USUN PolOff met with Liberian PermRep Milton Barnes on
March 12 at his request to discuss the future of the Liberia
sanctions regime. Noting the significant progress that
Liberia had made in the security and natural resources
sectors, Ambassador Barnes said that Liberia now wanted to
move past "the stigma of sanctions." In Liberia's view,
removing the names of persons from the list of those subject
to sanctions--which consist of an international travel ban
and assets freeze--would assist with political
reconciliation, particularly regarding those listed persons
with a "political affiliation." Barnes said that the
targeted sanctions had served their "corrective purpose," and
it was now time to remove from the list individuals who no
longer threaten the security of the country. Barnes explained
that Liberia did not have the capacity to undertake the
investigations needed to develop substantiated delisting
requests, and looked to the U.S. and other members of the
Council for their help in putting forward delisting requests.


3. (C) Ambassador Barnes also said that the GOL believed that
the mandate of the Panel of Experts should be brought to an
end, as the Panel's continued work in Liberia was a legacy of
the sanctions that was no longer appropriate. Barnes noted
that Liberia recognized the value of the arms embargo, and
said that in Liberia's view there is no need to terminate
this measure.


4. (C) USUN PolOff told Ambassador Barnes that the U.S. had
been considering a number of delisting proposals, and
intended to move forward with the requests in the near
future. PolOff promised to seek an official USG position on
terminating the mandate of the Panel of Experts.


5. (C) BACKGROUND: Although Liberia has been under sanctions
since 2001, positive security and political developments
since the election of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2006
have allowed the Council to gradually reduce the sanctions,
and over the past two years the Council has lifted the bans
on the import of Liberian timber and diamonds. The sanctions
now consist only of an arms embargo and an international
travel ban and assets freeze on individuals with ties to
Charles Taylor or who pose a threat to stability in Liberia
or the sub-region. The Panel of Experts is currently
mandated to report on the implementation of the arms embargo,
assets freeze, travel ban, and the forestry legislation
passed by the GOL in 2006, which was a precursor to the
Council's termination of the timber sanctions. The Panel is
also mandated to report on Liberia's compliance with the
Kimberley Process.
Khalilzad