Mr. Taylor's financial support for rebel forces in Guinea, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone created enormous hardship in those countries. The United Nations banned sales of diamonds from Liberia in 1990 in an attempt to cut off Mr. Taylor's source of funds and thus limit the amount he could funnel to rebel insurrections in neighbouring countries. His contributions to rebels in Sierra Leone fuelled a bitter civil war in that country. His main ally, the Revolutionary United Front, has been accused of widespread torture and sexual assault.