For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 16, 2003
Continuation of the National Emergency for Sierra Leone and Liberia
On January 18, 2001, by Executive Order 13194, the President
declared a national emergency with respect to Sierra Leone pursuant to
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706)
to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy
of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the
insurgent Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone and pursuant
to which the United States imposed a general ban on the direct and
indirect importation of all rough diamonds from Sierra Leone into the
United States, except those imports controlled through the Certificate
of Origin regime of the Government of Sierra Leone. On May 22, 2001, I
issued Executive Order 13213, which expanded the scope of the national
emergency to include actions of the Government of Liberia in support of
the RUF and prohibited the importation of all rough diamonds from
Liberia.
Because the actions and policies of the RUF continue to pose an
unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United
States, the national emergency declared on January 18, 2001, as
expanded on May 22, 2001, and the measures adopted on those dates to
deal with that emergency must continue in effect beyond January 18,
2003. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National
Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the
national emergency with respect to Sierra Leone and Liberia.
This Notice shall be published in the Federal Register and
transmitted to the Congress.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 16, 2003.
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