Business & trade

Sierra Leone

Updated:  14/04/08

SOURCE
UN

INSTRUMENT
SCR 1171 (1998)

MEASURES
  • Arms embargo other than to the Government of Sierra Leone through named entry points.
  • Exceptions for UN and Military Observer Group of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOMOG) for their sole use in Sierra Leone.
  • Travel restrictions on named members of the military junta and adult members of their families.

UK LEGISLATION
  • The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Liberia, Somalia and Former Yugoslavia) Order 1993 (SI 1993/1787) as amended by The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Former Yugoslavia) (Amendment) Order 1996 (SI 1996/1629), The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Rwanda) (Amendment) Order 1997 (SI 1997/273) and The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Amendment) (Sierra Leone) Order 1998 (SI 1998/1501)
  • The Immigration (Designation of Travel Bans) Order 2000 as amended by SI 2001/2377, 2002/3018 and 2003/236· The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Dependent Territories) Order 1995 (SI 1995/1032) as amended by The United Arms Embargoes (Dependent Territories) (Amendment) Order 1997 (SI 1997/272) and The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Dependent Territories) (Amendment) (Sierra Leone) Order 1998 (SI 1998/1502)
  • The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Somalia, Liberia and Rwanda) (Channel Islands) Order 1996 (SI 1996/3154) as amended by The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Somalia, Liberia and Rwanda) (Channel Islands) (Amendment) Order 1997 (SI 1997/279) and The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Channel Islands) (Amendment) (Sierra Leone) Order 1998 (SI 1998/1507)
  • The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Somalia, Liberia and Rwanda) (Isle of Man) Order 1996 (SI 1996/3153) as amended by The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Somalia, Liberia and Rwanda) (Isle of Man) (Amendment) Order 1997 (SI 1997/280) and by The United Nations Arms Embargoes (Isle of Man) (Amendment) (Sierra Leone) Order 1998 (SI 1998/1508)
  • The United Nations (Sanctions) (Amendment) Order 2000 (SI 2000/1106)
EU IMPLEMENTATION
Common Position 98/409/CFSP (29/6/98)

COMMENTS
Nominated points of entry are:
  • Kambia and Kabala (from the Republic of Guinea)
  • B – Waterside and Koindu (from the Republic of Liberia)
  • Lungi International Airport, Lungi and Queen Elizabeth II Quay, Cline Town (Freetown)

SOURCE
UN

INSTRUMENT
SCR 1299 (19/5/00)

MEASURES
  • Exception to arms embargo for Member States cooperating with UNAMSIL and the Government of Sierra Leone for their sole use in Sierra Leone
RESTRICTIONS ON THE EXPORT OF STRATEGIC GOODS

The Government will take full account of the ECOWAS Moratorium declared on 1 November 1998 on the import, export and manufacture of light weapons when considering relevant licence applications to export small arms and light weapons to ECOWAS Member States. The Moratorium applies to pistols, rifles, shotguns, sub-machine guns, carbines, machine guns, anti-tank missiles, mortars and howitzers up to 85mm and ammunition and spare parts for the above. A Code of Conduct on its implementation was agreed on 24 March 1999.
Exceptions to the Moratorium may be granted where the goods are to meet legitimate security needs.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE MORATORIUM

There are three exceptions to the Moratorium as follows:
  • for international peace operations;
  • for legitimate national security needs;
  • for individual ownership of a single weapon in the pistol, shotgun or non-military rifle categories for hunting or sporting purposes.