Friday, August 25, 2000
UN panel on Sierra Leone diamonds to visit African, western capitals
25 August -- The independent panel appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to collect information on the link between diamonds and the trade in arms in Sierra Leone concluded today a week of briefings at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The panel, which was established for an initial four-month period, has set a programme of work that will take the five-man team on a series of visits starting next week, a UN spokesman told reporters in New York. The team's work plan includes stops in a number of countries in the African region and western capitals, as well as attendance at an intergovernmental diamonds conference to be held in Pretoria, South Africa, on 16 September, spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
In addition to the links between diamonds and the arms trade, the team will also collect information on possible violations of the arms embargo and the adequacy of air traffic control systems in the region. The panel will return to New York in early November.
In other developments, Mr. Eckhard said that the Secretary-General's report on Sierra Leone had now been finalized and was expected to be informally distributed to Security Council members today and formally issued next Monday -- the same day that the Council has scheduled consultations on Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile, following Wednesday's attack on Port Loko by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has continued to monitor the situation, deploying a Jordanian platoon in the area.
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