Liberia denies UN arms violations

Liberia’s foreign minister has denied his country is violating United Nations sanctions on arms, travel and the diamond trade, saying that the bans are hurting ordinary citizens.

"What was bad has been made worse with the imposition of sanctions," Monie Kaptan told the UN Security Council during an open meeting on the report.

"Today I stand impatient as I await this council’s action to alleviate the human suffering in my country."

The Security Council slapped a new arms embargo on Liberia in March and a diamond embargo and travel restrictions in May to punish President Charles Taylor’s gun-and diamond-running with brutal Revolutionary United Front rebels across the border in Sierra Leone.