KINSHASA, Republic of the Congo, March 17 (UPI) -- The U.N. Mission in the Congo announced Wednesday it was stepping up efforts to control the black market in illegal weapons.
Known by its French acronym of MONUC, the mission is responding to the Security Council's condemnation Friday of illegal arms flowing into the huge Central Africa nation, said Hamadoun Toure, mission spokesman in Kinshasa, the capital.
The 15-member panel re-affirmed obligations of all U.N. member states to prevent the sale of arms, materiel and other assistance to armed groups in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the former Zaire, a nation roughly the size of Western Europe.
He said MONUC's marine forces were now deployed in the Lake Albert area to block shipments of illicit arms. MONUC's military spokesman, Col. Abou Thiam, said at least 30 foot patrols and 50 vehicle patrols had been organized for the area.
