THE UN Security Council has approved a resolution banning trade in diamonds mined from rebel-held areas of Sierra Leone. Diamonds are the main source of revenue for the Revolutionary United Front, which had taken 500 UN peacekeepers hostage in May. Resolution 1306, proposed by Britain, passed with 14 votes and one abstention from Mali. Exempted from the ban are diamonds mined from government-controlled areas of Sierra Leone, as certified by Freetown. An amendment added at France’s request puts an 18-month limit on the ban, but allows for its renewal at the end of that period.
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