A U.N. sanction banned Liberia from selling these, as they were "engaged" in trading them for weapons
The 
UN arms embargo imposed by Resolution 1343 (2001) was .... primarily Europe' 
with 'almost all weapons reaching Liberia transit countries in the ..... 1478 (2003) 
added a ban on the import of Liberian timber by UN member... [DOC] [TLE] Diamonds and Conflict: Background, Policy, and ... - Ed Royce [PAR] Jul 16, 2003 ... to the depth and extended duration of these conflicts.