Photo: Musue N. Haddad Some former victims of a UN travel embargo here say their freedom and dignity have been restored by the lifting of the ban on Tuesday.
Montserrado District #6 Representative Edwin Snowe, a former son-in-law of Mr. Taylor who welcomed the news with joy said their freedom and dignity had been restored.
He described the ban as a stigma which prevented him as a senior government official from traveling.
The Liberian Government on Wednesday welcomed the lifting of UN sanctions against the 17 Liberian who were part of Mr. Taylor's regime.
"The lifting of the travel ban is welcome news for the government of Liberia ..." Foreign Minister Augustine Naguafan, said on state radio hours before the announcement was made by the UN in New York.
The decision by the Security Council's Liberia sanctions committee was announced in a brief statement that gave the names but no reasons for the move.
The asset freezes and travel bans were imposed over a period of years from 2001 in a bid to contain Taylor who is serving a 50-year jail term for war crimes in Sierra Leone's civil war.
The UN on Tuesday lifted sanction on 17 Liberians amongst them the ex-wives of former President Taylor: Agnes and Jewel out a list which once contained over 55 names, while husband Taylor and son Chuckie still on the list which includes more than 25 others.
Others removed from the travel ban and assets freeze listing are former Senator Adolphus Dolo, said to have been a key Taylor military ally, former minister Reginald Goodridge and Taylor's former economic advisor, Emmanuel Shaw, who was accused of organizing arms deliveries, had a travel ban and assets freeze lifted. John Richardson, a former security advisor, also had his travel ban removed.
Several other names were removed from the list due to death. But one of the individuals removed from the list, Chief Cyril Allan said he owes the UN no gratitude for his name removal saying he was wrongly punished without justification.
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Very informative but I think it would be more informative if we knew the main reason as to why the sanction was placed in the first place. Someone please enlighten me.
Very informative but I think it would be more helpful if we knew the main reason as to why the sanction was placed in the first place. Someone please enlighten me.