Timber 'fuels Liberia's war machine'

An international campaigning group says it's to call for United Nations sanctions on Liberia to be extended to the timber trade.

The group Global Witness - which investigates links between human rights abuses and environmental exploitation - said timber was more important than diamonds as a source of revenue for President Charles Taylor in fuelling the conflict in West Africa.

The group's director, Patrick Alley - who's been on a fact-finding mission to the region - said the timber trade had enabled Mr Taylor to maintain his power base.

UN sanctions banning the diamond trade in Liberia came into effect in May. The Security Council has accused Liberia of continuing to fuel the decade-long civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone by trading weapons for diamonds from rebel-held areas.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service