By Prensa Latina
United Nations : The United Nations Security Council decided to lift the arms embargo to the government of Democratic Congo Monday, but kept the prohibitions for all rebel groups in the country.
The decision of the 15 members of the UN Security Council appeared in a resolution Monday, which extends the mandate of the Group of Experts on the watch of sanctions up to the end of 2008.
The sanctions include trip prohibitions, freezing goods to political leaders and military chiefs of foreign armed groups denounced for recruiting children as soldiers and other crimes.
Most of the groups are operating in the central provinces, among them some armed groups from Rewanda, involved in the genocide in this country in 1994.
The resolution said that from now on, the embargo should not affect the government in Kinshasa, and the government should be able to acquire arsenals for military activities.
The text said the Group of Experts should examine the information picked by the UN Mission in Democratic Congo and shares its conclusions with the governments of the region on fluxes of weapons and traffic nets to stop this activity.
The document said the experts should dedicate special attention to the situation in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, where armed groups still operate.