U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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19–011 2003

108th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 108–22

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH 

RESPECT TO SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA

COMMUNICATION

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

NOTIFICATION THAT THE SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA EMERGENCY IS TO CONTINUE IN EFFECT BEYOND JANUARY 18, 2003, 

PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1622(d)

JANUARY 27, 2003.—Referred to the Committee on International Relations 

and ordered to be printed


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
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THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, January 16, 2003. 

Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies 

Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of 

a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its 

declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and 

transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is 

to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance 

with this provision, I have sent the enclosed notice, stating that the 

Sierra Leone and Liberia emergency is to continue in effect beyond 

January 18, 2003, to the Fedeal Register for publication. The most 

recent notice continuing this emergency was published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2002 (67 FR 2547). 

The national emergency declared with respect to Sierra Leone on 

January 18, 2001, as expanded on May 22, 2001, with respect to 

Liberia, has not been resolved. Some 1,500 Revolutionary United 

Front (RUF) soldiers have crossed into Liberia in the past year, 

where they remain under arms and continue to pose a threat to the 

Government of Sierra Leone. They use illicit trade in diamonds to 

sustain themselves in Liberia and for weapons purchases. The Government of Liberia continues to support these RUF elements and 

give them sanctuary. 

These actions and policies are hostile to U.S. interests and pose 

a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy 

of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it 

is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to Sierra Leone and Liberia and to maintain in force the 

sanctions imposed in response to the threat posed by the actions 

and policies of the RUF. 

Sincerely, 

GEORGE W. BUSH.

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NOTICE

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO

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 Seirra 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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