Burkina Faso to work with U.N. on arms imports Reuters - December 2, 2000 OUAGADOUGOU - Burkina Faso has agreed to set up a U.N.-monitored mechanism for monitoring arms imports, following allegations that it has been involved in smuggling weapons to rebels in Sierra Leone and Angola. A Foreign Ministry statement released on Friday said that the aim was to strengthen the confidence of the international community and that talks with the United Nations on details would begin shortly. "Keen to strengthen confidence with the international community and remove, once and for all, the concerns of its partners, Burkina Faso has decided to put in place a mechanism for monitoring its imports of arms and the use to which they are put," it said. The statement said that the West African nation proposed putting the monitoring system under the supervision of the U.N. Security Council for a period of three years. Three U.N. investigating missions have visited Burkina Faso since August, following allegations that the country had been involved in smuggling weapons to rebels in Sierra Leone and Angola in return for diamonds. Burkina Faso initially responded to the accusations by banning visits by all Angolan and Sierra Leonean nationals, except those on official government business. It also banned trade within its borders in gems and precious metals from conflict zones.