Liberia
Expected Council Action
In December the Sanctions Committee on Liberia is expected to consider recommendations from the Panel of Experts tasked with investigating and reporting on implementation of sanctions.
The Council is likely to renew the current sanctions regime for Liberia, which expires on 19 December.
This comprises the arms embargo and travel ban imposed in 2003 by resolution 1521 and renewed in 2008 by resolution 1854. The assets freeze imposed in 2004 by resolution 1532 remains in force and does not require renewal.
The Council is also expected to renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts which expires on 20 December.
Key Recent Developments
On 15 September the Council adopted resolution 1885:
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extending the mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) until 30 September 2010;
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authorising UNMIL to assist the Liberian government with its preparation for the 2011 general presidential and legislative polls; and
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endorsing the Secretary-General’s recommendation to implement the third phase of UNMIL’s drawdown.
The Council also requested the Secretary-General to develop and submit a strategic integrated plan to coordinate activity on achieving benchmarks for UNMIL and re-emphasised the need for coherence and integration of peacemaking, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development in order to respond effectively to post-conflict situations. The Council also asked the Secretary-General to report progress on achieving a coordinated UN approach in the country, especially on critical gaps to achieving peacebuilding objectives. (This was an important practical application of the thinking contained in the Council’s thematic statements (S/PRST/2009/23 and S/PRST/2009/24) on peacebuilding and peacekeeping.)
Through an exchange of letters in late October (S/2009/546 of 19 October 2009 and S/2009/547 of 22 October 2009), Lieutenant General Sikander Afzal from Pakistan was appointed as the new Force Commander of UNMIL, replacing Lieutenant General Zahirul Alam from Bangladesh, whose tour of duty ended.
On 1 November police officers serving with UNMIL helped Liberian police and prison officers foil an attempted mass escape by about fifty prisoners from a prison in Monrovia.
On 16 November the chairman of Liberia’s National Elections Commission, James Fromayan said supporters of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party had threatened to burn down his house and kill him. Fromayan said he reported the threats to the Liberian police, which in turn provided security for his family. The CDC denied that its members had made such threats against him.
Human Rights-Related Developments
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In a report presented during the Human Rights Council session from 14 September to 2 October, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) noted some advances in reforming the criminal justice sector in Liberia. However, the Liberian government was urged to increase, with external assistance, resources for key institutions in that sector to provide training for judges, prosecutors, defence counsel and investigators in order to ensure respect for due process of law. With the conclusion of the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), it was important that the Liberian people consider how best to implement the Commission’s recommendations, the OHCHR said. (The TRC was established by Liberia’s Parliament to investigate and report on gross human rights violations that occurred between January 1979 and October 2003. It began its work in June 2006 and concluded its two-year mandate with a report identifying 52 persons that it believed had committed war crimes.) |
Key Issues
The key issue for the Council is whether progress is being made in implementing the Liberia sanctions and whether to renew the sanctions regime and the mandate of the Panel, and if so, whether modification will be required.
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adopting a resolution following the pattern of previous renewals prolonging the arms embargo and travel ban for a further 12 months, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts for one year with requests for reports both midway through and at the end of the mandate; and
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deciding to begin the process of winding down the sanctions regime, perhaps by requesting the Secretary-General to advise on the question in his next report.
Council Dynamics
During their consideration of the mid-term report of the Panel of Experts submitted to the sanctions committee on 5 June, Council members seemed agreed on the need to continue the current sanctions regime on various individuals in Liberia. Views within the Council do not seem to have changed significantly but may be influenced by to the latest findings of the Panel.
The general sense is that Liberia is moving in the right direction but security remains fragile. There are concerns about the potential impact on Liberia from recent developments in neighbouring countries such as Guinea.
The US is the lead country on this issue in the country.
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Selected Security Council Resolutions |
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Selected Secretary-General’s Reports |
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Selected Presidential Statements |
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Other |
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Other Relevant Facts
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Special Representative of the Secretary-General |
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Ellen Margrethe Løj (Denmark) |
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UNMIL Force Commander |
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Lieutenant General Sikander Afzal (Pakistan) |
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UNMIL: Size, Composition and Cost |
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UNMIL: Duration |
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September 2003 to present; mandate expires 30 September 2010 |
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Chairman of the Liberia Sanctions Committee |
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Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham (Libya) |
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Panel of Experts on Liberia |
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