UNITED NATIONS, Sunday ” U.N. experts accused Uganda and Rwanda on Friday of refusing to provide straight answers about their role in an illegal trade in minerals plundered from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

UNITED NATIONS, Sunday ” U.N. experts accused Uganda and Rwanda on Friday of refusing to provide straight answers about their role in an illegal trade in minerals plundered from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The expert panels report surfaced as all five governments of Africas Great Lakes region assured the U.N. Security Council of their continuing support for a long and costly internationally backed campaign to bring peace, stability and development to the war-torn zone.

Uganda is suspected of facilitating the illegal export of Congolese gold while Rwanda is believed to be helping smuggle out tin ore, but both countries provided erroneous information when asked about their activities, the experts said.

Despite a U.N. arms embargo, deficiencies in weapons marking and record-keeping requirements have made it virtually impossible to track the arms trade in Congo, the experts said, calling on Congo to set up its own arms marking system.

Source: New Vision

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