afrol News, 13 August - The United Nations Security Council on Friday voted unanimously to extend arms embargo on militia groups operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for six months. A violation of the embargo by any person or group will be punished by travel ban and assets freeze.

The embargo excludes arms and related materials intended for the use of units of national army or police. The units must meet certain criteria.

The Council also condemned the continuing illicit flow of weapons into and around the DRC.

The first arms embargo was imposed in 2003 amid concerns that the growth and trafficking of arms was fuelling and exacerbating conflicts across Great Lakes region.

The UN arms sanctions will be maintained in the DRC until 15 February 2008. The vote followed the submission of the final report by a Group of Experts tasked with monitoring illegal arms flows.

The UN body was most concerned about the appalling situation in the country’s far east, particularly the provinces of north and south Kivu and Ituri district where militia groups continue to “perpetuate a climate of insecurity in the whole region.” These places share border with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

The UN’s Congo peace keeping mission, MONUC, has been asked to remain focus in monitoring the activities on the volatile regions of Kivu and Ituri.

The expert report proved “that the most profitable financing source for armed groups remains the exploitation, trade and transportation of natural resources.”

The Congolese government has been urged to tackle the problem or seek help from the international community if it cannot do it alone.

“The government is now in a strategic position to choose between addressing the country’s ills in an effective manner or allowing violence, corruption and the absence of rule of law to continue to hinder the country and the development of its population,” the report said.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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