UN panel on role of diamonds in Sierra Leone war to start work this month
2 August -- An expert panel established by the United Nations to explore the linkage between diamonds and weapons in Sierra Leone is scheduled to hold its first meeting later this month, a UN spokesman announced today in New York.
Spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva told reporters that the five-member panel is expected to discuss organizational aspects of their work at a meeting at UN Headquarters during the week of 21 August.
Also today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan communicated to the Security Council the composition of the panel, which will be chaired by Martin Chungong Ayafor of Cameroon. The other members include a diamond expert from Canada, Ian Smillie; an expert on arms and transportation from Belgium, Johan Pelemen; an Interpol expert from India, Harjit Singh Sandhu; and an aviation expert from Senegal, Atabou Bodian.
The panel has a mandate from the Security Council to collect information on possible violations of the arms embargo, the link between the trade in diamonds and arms, and the adequacy of air traffic control systems in the region to detect aircraft suspected of trafficking arms across borders. It is expected to report to the Security Council committee on Sierra Leone sanctions by the end of October.
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