UN: Israel needs to up efforts against 'blood diamond' sales
Security Council says in report on Ivory Coast that Israel, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon among countries need to increase work to stop illegal export and sale of Ivory Coast diamonds, often used to fund raging conflict there
The United Nations Security Council has indicated that several countries need to step up efforts to stop the illegal export and sale of Ivory Coast diamonds, including Israel, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Guinea and Liberia.
An embargo on buying rough diamonds mined in the economic powerhouse of Francophone West Africa followed in 2005. The panel urged states to crack down on so-called "blood diamonds" from conflict zones that are often used to fund wars.
A UN panel of experts has demanded that Burkina Faso investigate weapons transfers to the rebel-controlled northern part of the neighboring West African state of Ivory Coast.
In a report to the UN Security Council obtained by Reuters on Tuesday, the panel also called on the Ivorian government to grant its members access to "all sites and military installations" where arms might be stored.
It urged the New Force rebels in the north to do the same.
The Security Council is expected later this week to renew for another year an arms embargo and other UN sanctions on the Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer which is still recovering from a civil war.
The embargo was imposed in 2004 over violations of a 2003 cease-fire between the government and the rebels.
