UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council Monday that the struggle with the rule of law and competition over natural resources threatened Liberia's fragile stability despite its economy showing significant improvement.

The UN chief recommended a 12-month extension to the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) through September 2009, adding the main threats to peace and stability emanate from the law and order maintenance issues.

He said, "much still needs to be done, urgently, to strengthen the capacities of both the police and the army, and facilitate their effective presence in the country."

Ban proposes expanding the size of the UNMIL police units from 605 to 845 officers, and calls on Liberia's international partners to urgently provide assistance in building a national police force.

More than 60 percent of the population live below the national poverty line and the country scores among the lowest in the world in key social indicators, posing a potential risk to a delicate peace building process, Ban said, while noting an increase in Liberia's gross domestic product (GDP) to 9.4 percent and a significant reduction in external debt.

While the increased value of natural resources has contributed to an improvement in the government's revenue, "it has created a stronger incentive for illegal exploitation of natural resources, particularly minerals and rubber," he warned.

"UNMIL will be able to continue to discharge its mandate of maintaining a stable and secure environment and providing the necessary security umbrella throughout the country to enable the government to continue its reform and restructuring program," Ban said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)