Britain has circulated a draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council that authorizes the transfer of former Liberian President Charles Taylor to the Netherlands following his arrest on war crimes charges.
The document says that Taylor's continued presence in West Africa is an impediment to stability and a threat to the peace of Liberia and the region.
The resolution is in response to a request by the U.N.-backed Special Court in Sierra Leone for the Netherlands to host Taylor's trial. It says it is concerned that holding the trial in Sierra Leone would cause unrest both there and in Liberia.
The court has indicted Taylor on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, stemming from his role in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war. He is due to make his first court appearance on Monday.
Taylor was captured and delivered to the court on Wednesday after Nigeria, which gave him asylum in 2003, gave approval for his arrest.
The court in Sierra Leone emphasized that it would retain control of the trial but that it hoped to use facilities of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Separately, the U.N. Security Council Friday unanimously extended the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Liberia through the end of September.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
