Liberia: British 'after diamonds'

President Taylor faces personal accusations of illegal diamond deals

Liberian President Charles Taylor says British soldiers are involved in the Sierra Leone conflict because Great Britain wants control of the country's diamonds.

Accusing us of trafficking diamonds is like accusing Saudi Arabia of smuggling oil

President Charles Taylor

Mr Taylor was speaking during a visit to the French capital Paris to the newspaper Le Monde. Paris is one of the few Western capitals not to boycott visits by Mr Taylor.

Both Britain and the United States accuse him of involvement in the traffic of so-called "blood diamonds" from rebel-held areas in Sierra Leone and exchanging them for guns for the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

Mr Taylor denies any such involvement.

God sent floods to Great Britain... God has punished Great Britain!

President Charles Taylor

"Yes, I believe that the war in Sierra Leone is a war for diamonds. But not because Liberia wants these diamonds. We have them already.

"This war is taking place because the British want these diamonds," he said.

Flood revenge

He also criticised British action in persuading the European Union to cut its assistance to Liberia.

"You can cut our aid. You can dislike Charles Taylor. But there are Liberians who are dying, who need aid," he said.

Sierra Leone diamonds are high quality gemstones

"I am a Christian," he added.

"God sent floods to Great Britain. Floods which will cost them one or two billion dollars. God has punished Great Britain!"

Liberia is still the subject of a United Nations arms embargo.

A recent UN mission to West Africa said Liberia's international image had suffered because it was not seen to be promoting peace and stability in the region, particularly in Sierra Leone.

Mr Taylor is accused of involvement with rebel movements in neighbouring Sierra Leone and Guinea, something he has always denied.