Ban on diamond trade is lifted

The government said it had lifted a six-year moratorium on the diamond trade put in place after former President Charles Taylor was accused of using "blood diamonds" to fuel civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone.

"People can start applying for mining, selling and broker licenses" for diamonds on Monday, a government official said.

The United Nations imposed sanctions on Liberia's diamonds in May 2001 and the Liberian government complied by placing a moratorium on all mining. The U.N. lifted the sanctions in April.